


IceRose's OTPTober Challenge

by IceRoseQueen



Category: Kamen Rider Saber
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Babies, Carrying, Children, Crushes, Danger, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Forehead Kisses, Hair Brushing, Halloween Costumes, Implied Sexual Content, Invasion, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Moving In Together, Oaths & Vows, Party, Pets, Pokemon AU, Pregnancy, Rain, Reading Aloud, Sick Character, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Dancing, Spa Treatments, Wedding Fluff, Wet Clothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:14:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 24,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27057805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceRoseQueen/pseuds/IceRoseQueen
Summary: These drabbles were written for Mags's OTPTober Tumblr Challenge.
Relationships: Shindou Rintaro/Sudou Mei
Comments: 67
Kudos: 12





	1. First Date!!

**Author's Note:**

> These drabbles were written for Mags's OTPTober Tumblr Challenge.

Mei Sudo had what she thought was the perfect day planned. However, her plans seemed to change with a single phone call. Her boss called, even though it was her day off, and asked her to come into the office. She tried to explain she already had prior plans, but her boss was having none of it. Mei’s lips quivered and water pooled in her eyes, several drops leaking out of the corners and trailing down her cheeks. Fingertips wiped futilely at her eyes, but tears continued to stream out. 

Rintaro entered her living room, his eyes widening when he noticed her crying. Up until now, he’d never witnessed a girl crying, and after this experience, he was sure he never wanted to ever again.

“Are you alright?”

Mei nodded, sniffling quietly as she finished her phone call with her boss.

“I’m fine. It’s just,” she trailed off, trying to find the words, “it’s just, my boss asked me to come into the office today. It’s my day off and we had plans to go somewhere together, but now that’s ruined by work.”

Whatever words tumbled from her lips next, Rintaro couldn’t tell. She was rambling and babbling and he thought it best to stop her before she began hyperventilating or had a nervous breakdown. He placed his hands on her cheeks, slowly stroking away whatever tears remained with his thumbs.

“Stop. If you keep rambling like this, you might hyperventilate or have a breakdown. Calm down.”

He smiled at her, a genuine, gentle smile.

“You should go and get ready.”

Mei was a bit confused, as her typical red and white outfit was her usual work outfit. However, she nodded and went into her bedroom. Rintaro noticed she left her cell phone on the table and picked it up. Finding her call history, he tapped on the most recent call, the incoming call from her boss. The phone rang and a woman’s voice answered.

“Hello, is this Mei’s boss?”

“Yes, it is. You’re not Mei. Who’s calling?”

“My name is Rintaro Shindo and I am Mei’s boyfriend. I understand that today is Mei’s day off, and yet, you called her into the office. I am afraid we had plans that were already made and Mei will not be able to make it into the office today. Please do not call again today unless there is an emergency.”

Before he gave Mei’s boss a chance to say anything, Rintaro hung up the phone. As soon as he hung up the phone, Mei stepped out of her bedroom. She wasn’t wearing her typical red and white outfit, but another casual outfit.

“Rintaro, I’m heading to the office now. I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“You are not going into the office today, Mei. Today is your day off and we had plans, remember?”

“But, my boss?!”

“She already knows you are not coming in.”

“Rintaro, what did you do?”

“I called her and told her you were not coming into the office on your day off because we already had plans.”

“Rintaro, you idiot! You can’t do things like that! What if she fires me?”

“If she was going to fire you, would she not have called you again, asking you to come in immediately?”

Rintaro had a valid point. If her boss was going to fire her, she’d have called her back to demand that she come into the office immediately. Not asked as she had previously, but demanded.

“You’re right.”

Rintaro smiled and offered his hand to Mei.

“What destination did you have in mind when you planned our outing for today?”

“I was thinking I could take you to a bakery since I know you love desserts and other sweet foods. Then, once we left the bakery, I was thinking we could come back to my place and I’d make us lunch.”

He shook his head and hand, trying to convey that cooking for him wasn’t necessary, but she grabbed his hand and smiled back at him.

“I’ll make us whatever you’d like.”

“Can we have noodles with rice?”

Mei smiled.

“Sounds delicious!”

Rintaro smiled back at her.

“I would like to see what offerings this bakery has.”

“Let’s go!”


	2. Lazy afternoon naps/waking each other up

Mei yawned, exhaling a soft huff of air, and sat down in the children’s corner. She grabbed one of the pillows and curled up, resting her head on the soft pillow. Her lips curled up into a small smile as she drifted off to sleep.

That’s where Touma, Rintaro, Kento, Ryo, and Ren found her when they entered Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama through the Book Gate from Northern Base. Rintaro smiled and grabbed a blanket from somewhere, placing it on top of his slumbering crush.

“Sleep well, Mei-chan.” He whispered.

Touma, Kento, and Ryo smiled at the sight.

“Young love is so sweet. What I wouldn’t give to be young again!” Ryo laughed.

“Ogami-san, please be quieter. It looks like Mei-chan is sleeping rather peacefully. I do not wish to wake her up.”

Ryo nodded. “Should we move her to a more comfortable place? She doesn’t look very comfortable curled up like that.”

“I do not want to wake her up. That would not be fair to her when she looks so peaceful.” Rintaro repeated.

“This is boring. I’m going to train in Liberation.” Ren walked back through the Book Gate.

“No one said he needed to come. If he was going to gripe, he should’ve stayed behind at Northern Base.” Touma said.

“He just doesn’t appreciate the nuances of young love. I think it’s time I headed back to Sora now. Goodbye!” With that, Ryo exited Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama.

“I think Touma and I are going to go into town and spend some time catching up. We haven’t done that in a while.” With that, Kento and Touma left too, leaving Rintaro alone with Mei.

Rintaro smiled and knelt down next to Mei, gently brushing some of her bangs out of her face. He carefully tightened the blanket around her and scooped her into his arms. Her eyelids fluttered a bit before deciding to remain closed. However, her eyes fluttered open a few seconds later when she realized she was no longer on the floor, there was a blanket wrapped around her, and she was in Rintaro’s arms.

“Hello, Mei. Did you have a nice nap?”

“I did, but where is everyone, and why are you holding me?”

“Ogami-san is spending time with Sora, Ren is training in Liberation, and Kento and Touma went into town so they could spend some time catching up.”

“Why are you holding me?” Mei repeated her earlier question.

“You looked uncomfortable sleeping on the ground, so I thought I would let you sleep in my arms.”

“Rintaro, you could’ve put me in a chair or on the couch. Aren’t your arms getting tired? You can put me down now.”

“You are not that heavy, so my arms are fine.”

Mei’s cheeks reddened slightly as she realized he wasn’t planning on setting her down anytime soon. Rintaro noticed the flush in her cheeks and became concerned.

“You are not getting sick, are you?”

Mei smiled. She thought he was cute when he became concerned about her.

“No, no, Rintaro. I’m not getting sick. Don’t worry, I’m alright.”

Mei wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and fell back asleep.


	3. A cooking B's favorite meal as a surprise

Mei was holed up in her kitchen, pots and other cooking utensils strewn across the counter. She was attempting to make eclairs, "attempting" being the keyword. She didn’t want to think about the possibility of him not liking the eclairs she spent the better part of her morning attempting to perfect.

While she was worrying about if he was going to like the eclairs she was making, there was a knock on the door. She scrambled to clean up a bit before running over to her front door. She swung open the door and her face screwed up into a deer trapped in the headlights expression. He was here. He was actually standing in front of the entrance to her apartment. The eclairs weren’t done, not even made. The surprise was going to be ruined.

“Mei, what is the matter?” Rintaro was concerned.

“You can’t be here!” She was panicking. “I mean, this was supposed to be a surprise from me to you, but you’re already here and the surprise is going to be ruined!” She was beginning to ramble. 

“Mei!” Rintaro hoped his voice would be enough to break her out of her rambling, but even that didn’t seem to work. “Mei!” He continued to try to get her attention, but she continued to ramble. “Mei!” He finally placed his hands on her cheeks, hoping that his touch would be enough to stop her.

“You…” Listening to her, Rintaro wondered if Mei was beginning to shut down.

“Mei, I apologize if I did something wrong. You mentioned a surprise and I apologize if I ruined that.”

“You haven’t ruined anything, Rintaro. I haven’t even done anything yet. I’ve been trying all morning, but with little success. Why don’t you sit down with something to drink and a book and relax.”

“Will you make some tea?”

Mei smiled and walked back into the kitchen. She pulled out her tea kettle and filled it with water. She set the kettle on top of the stove and turned the burner on, letting the water come to a boil. She retrieved a cup and placed tea leaves in the cup. Once the water finished boiling, she carefully poured the steaming water into the cup. She brought the tea out to Rintaro and handed him the cup.

“Please be careful. It’s still steaming and I don’t want you to burn yourself. Now, in about an hour, I’ll have your surprise prepared for you. I think you’re going to love it!!”

Rintaro nodded, set his tea down, walked over to the bookshelf, grabbed a book, sat down in one of the chairs, and began to read.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mei went about preparing her surprise—freshly baked eclairs. She mixed up a brand new batch of dough, which undoubtedly looked much better compared to her earlier attempts. She beamed at the dough, very determined to succeed. She scooped the dough into a pastry bag and piped the dough onto a baking sheet. She opened up her preheated oven and placed the baking sheet on the rack. She set the timer and left the pastries to bake. When there were about five minutes of baking time left, Mei set about making the custard filling. She mixed the custard together and placed it in the refrigerator to chill a bit. Once the pastries were finished baking, Mei pulled them out and placed each eclair on the cooling rack to cool. She pulled out the custard and scooped it into a pastry bag. Once the eclairs were cooled, she filled each one and placed it back on the cooling rack. She placed the baking sheet underneath the cooling rack and set about to make the last part of her surprise, the chocolate icing.

Back in the living room, Rintaro looked up from his book every so often to look in the direction of the kitchen. He wondered what was taking Mei so long. He assumed Mei wouldn’t take this long to give him his surprise, but he had no idea what was in store for him.

In the kitchen, Mei mixed up a batch of chocolate icing and scooped it into a pastry bag. She piped thick ribbons of chocolate icing over each eclair and placed one onto a plate. She placed the remaining eclairs on another plate and stuck them in the refrigerator. Beaming, she took the plate into the living room and presented it to Rintaro.

He looked shocked, at first, wondering why she went to all the trouble of making an eclair for him, but his look of shock quickly became a look of surprise as he realized this was the surprise Mei had been talking about.

“This is what you have been up to for the past hour or so? Making an eclair for me?”

“I made a whole batch of eclairs for you. I’ve seen how much you love sweets, and eclairs in particular, so I thought I’d try my best to make some for you.”

Rintaro took a bite of the eclair and his eyes widened. The custard was smooth, creamy, and silky on his tongue and the chocolate icing was the perfect blend of sweetness and chocolatey goodness.

“This is the best surprise I have ever received. Thank you, Mei.” He beamed at her and continued eating the eclair, enjoying every bite.


	4. Little kisses/favorite spots to kiss

One of Mei’s favorite spots to kiss was his cheek, especially after a battle. For every win, she’d give him a congratulatory peck on the cheek. For every loss, she’d give him a few more, kissing any frustration and anger away. However, sometimes she just gave him cheek kisses just because.

Another favorite spot of Mei’s was his mouth. His lips were surprisingly soft. Things were awkward the first time, as it was clear Rintaro had never kissed a girl before, but Mei was a good teacher. Mei never gave him more than small pecks on the lips, but he never demanded more from her. Each peck was heaven to him.

Rintaro had his favorite spots on Mei that he liked to kiss too. For him, it was her forehead, temples, and the back of her hand. He never kissed a girl before, especially not on her lips. He was a gentleman and gentlemen were taught to respect women. That respect meant he wouldn’t do anything without Mei’s consent. It wasn’t until she kissed him on the lips that her lips became his newest favorite spot of hers to kiss.


	5. Rituals!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in an AU. I wanted it to be a mini-crossover between Kamen Rider Saber and Pokemon, but I think it worked better as an AU.

Their first ritual was always letting their Pokémon out to play with each other. His Vaporeon and her Sylveon, in particular, always enjoyed playing together. The others always made comments about how cute the two Pokémon were around each other, leading to speculation that the two Pokémon had the same relationship as their trainers. Of course, the nature of Mei and Rintaro’s relationship was full of just as much speculation as their Pokémon's. Ryo swore they were the cutest thing he’d ever seen, aside from his own son, Sora. Ren would say they were sickeningly cute and run off to train his Pokémon to be the strongest. Touma and Kento would just smile and be happy for Mei and Rintaro finding their happiness.

After letting their Pokémon out to play, their second ritual involved training. The fun and games were over. Clefable was sent out against Poliwrath. Mei knew she had the type advantage, but Rintaro was smart and was probably already keeping his type disadvantage in mind. He instructed Poliwrath to Dig his way under the ground, but Mei instructed Clefable to shoot a Moonblast right into the hole. She gleefully shot the pink blast of moon energy into the hole Poliwrath had just dug and watched as poor Poliwrath shot out like a cannonball being fired out of a cannon. Poliwrath landed on the ground, swirls in his eyes. Mei and Clefable hugged and celebrated. Rintaro looked sad, but knew the loss was his fault. He knew Poliwrath had a type disadvantage against Clefable but thought he’d developed a strategy to overcome that. Poliwrath looked at his trainer with the same sad eyes, though his sadness stemmed more from disappointment rather than anger. Poliwrath gave Rintaro a hug and walked over to Mei. Poliwrath spoke a few words to Mei, though she had no idea what he was saying, then began pushing her towards Rintaro. Clefable chirped happily and helped Poliwrath push Mei towards Rintaro. She hugged both trainers and smiled in a way that she was saying, “My work here is done!”

Their third ritual involved fighting off Team Megid. They used Dark-type Pokémon, which meant Mei’s Fairy-types were the perfect antithesis. Their ritual of fighting off villains was, more often than not, a team ritual. Rintaro could remember the day when Team Megid’s five Admins first approached them, Grunts surrounding Team Saber from all angles. Each member of Team Saber sent out their strongest Pokémon, Touma’s Mega Charizard X, Rintaro’s Poliwrath, Kento’s Togedemaru, Ryo’s Hippowdon, Ren’s Mega Pidgeot, and Mei’s Clefable. Team Megid’s Admins also sent out their strongest, Storious’s Shiftry, Legeiel’s Absol, Zooous’s Mightyena, Calibur’s Malamar, and Desast’s Zoroark. The Grunts sent out their assorted Houndour, Poochyena, Nickit, and Purrloin, but were swiftly defeated by the combined might of Team Saber. The Admins were a different story.

Team Saber paired off to face the Admins. Touma and Kento faced Storious and Calibur, Rintaro and Mei faced Zooous and Legeiel, and Ren and Ryo faced Desast. The Admins were much more difficult to defeat, even while paired up and each trainer using their strongest Pokémon. Whenever an attack would come close to hitting Mei, Rintaro would start losing his cool, calm, and collected demeanor. The other members of Team Saber thought it was cute that he was worried about her, but they couldn’t afford to take their eyes off their battles long enough to say anything. When an Alakazam entered the fray, Team Saber knew things were going to get better. The female Alakazam belonged to Team Saber’s mentor, Sophia, and she was a very powerful Pokémon. Despite the fact that none of her Psychic-type attacks did any damage to Team Megid’s Pokémon, Alakazam still looked intimidating. Sophia had her use Psychic, not to attack, but to lift each of the Admins into the air. She held them there for a small length of time and then let them down. Afterward, Sophia had Alakazam use Dazzling Gleam. Storious merely smiled and called for his team to retreat for the time being. Legeiel and Zooous wanted to argue but thought better of it. Team Megid retreated and Team Saber recalled their Pokémon. Sophia smiled and thanked her team. The team retreated to their base to celebrate.


	6. Doing each other's hair

She brushed his dark hair out of his face with gentle fingers. His skin was paler than normal, sweaty, and clammy. Mei couldn’t tell if it was a bad cold or something potentially worse. She ran to the kitchen and filled a bowl with water. She grabbed a towel from a drawer, ran back into the living room, dipped the towel in the bowl, rang it out, and placed the wet towel on his forehead. After about five or ten minutes, she removed the towel and draped it across the bowl. She grabbed a blanket and draped it over him, tucking him in.

Mei went into her bathroom and grabbed her assortment of hair accessories off of the counter. She went back into the living room and set to work. She pulled out several bobby pins and began brushing Rintaro’s hair back off of his sweat-slicked forehead, pinning back the strands where she could. Her objective was to keep as much of his hair off of his forehead and out of the sweat as possible. When she was satisfied, she beamed and set her hair accessories aside.

"Get better soon, Rintaro,” she whispered.

“I am going to try my best,” he croaked.

His voice sounded raw as if he hadn’t spoken since becoming sick. He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips against it, or, he tried to. He felt so weak. His entire body ached and he was hot and cold at the same time.

“What is wrong with me?”

“You’re sick, Rintaro. I think it’s a bad cold, but it should run its course within a few days. If you get worse, I’m going to take you to see a doctor.”

“You may wish to speak to Sophia. She is one of my mentors and the founder of the Sword of Logos. She is a great mystic and may know of other methods of getting over an illness.”

“She’ll probably tell me to tell you to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids, and she’d be right. I’ll make you some soup and get you some water. Go back to sleep in the meantime.”

He didn’t argue with her and did as she said. In the end, Rintaro got over his cold in a few days, just as Mei said he would. He assumed that his cold was the result of playing in the rain that had fallen the week before. He also never found out that Mei had pinned his hair back for him during his time of suffering. Turnabout's fair play, as about a week later, Mei came down with what Rintaro suspected was the same illness he struggled with.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked softly.

“Some water would be nice.”

Rintaro went into her kitchen and filled a glass with water. He brought it back out to her and set it down on the table. He helped her sit up a little and offered the glass to her. He helped her drink a few sips and set the glass back down on the table.

“Would you like me to do your hair for you? As you are currently ill, I do not think it would be wise if you tried to style your own hair right now.”

“Thank you, Rintaro, but all you need to do is comb it. I don’t really need to look pretty while I’m sick.”

“Even when you are ill, you still look beautiful, Mei.”

He went into her bathroom, retrieved her hairbrush and hair accessories, and walked back out into the living room. He helped her sit up again, as she’d lain back down, and gently began brushing her hair. The feeling of the brush on her scalp must have been enough to lull her back to sleep because when Rintaro looked to see how she was doing, her eyes were closed and her chest was lightly rising and falling. He stopped brushing and set the brush down on the table. He lightly brushed her hair away from her face and pinned each side back with some bobby pins. He did the same thing with her bangs, pinning them against the top of her head to keep them out of her face. He watched her sleep for a few seconds, then scooped her up, and carried her to her bedroom. He set her down for a few seconds in order to pull back her covers and scooped her up again. He laid her down in her bed and pulled her covers over her, also covering her with a blanket. He kissed her on the forehead, watched her sleep for a bit, and then left her to rest and recover.


	7. Sharing an umbrella/playing in the rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Seven is a prequel to Day Six.

Water was his element. He felt comfortable with the water. However, when Mei wanted him to join her in playing in the rain, he had to say no. He’d heard that people got sick from playing in the rain, and he couldn’t afford to get sick. As a swordsman of the Sword of Logos and Kamen Rider Blades, there were people to protect. He couldn’t protect anything if he couldn’t fight.

He sat inside, a book in his hands. Mei was outside, playing in the rain against his pleadings. As much as he didn’t want to get sick, he definitely didn’t want her to get sick. He looked out the window, watching Mei as she stuck out her tongue and tried to catch raindrops in her mouth. Soon, she’d be soaked and catch a chill. He had to put a stop to this. He marked his spot in his book, closed it, stood, and walked to the door. He opened it and stood in the doorway.

“Mei, if you stay in the rain any longer, you will become sick. Please come inside.”

A frown crossed her features and her lips pursed in a rather childish manner.

“Rintaro, I’m having fun. You should try catching some raindrops on your tongue.”

“If I go out into the rain, I will get sick. If I get sick, I cannot protect anyone. The Megid will be free to do as they please, and Touma, Kento, Ogami-san, and Ren will not be at full strength. The five of us are strongest when we work as one toward our common goal.”

“Just come out for a few minutes. You won’t get sick after a few minutes.”

He seemed to consider it. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“A few minutes. That is all. Any longer and I will be useless. What do you think my master would have said if I made myself sick from playing in the rain?”

“I don’t know your master, Rintaro, but I would like to think he’d want you to have fun when you’re not trying to save the world.”

“He was a good master, a good man. He trained me well. I shall carry on his legacy and preserve his memory.”

“You can do it! I believe in you, Rintaro.”

Rintaro smiled a bit, then walked outside and stood in the rain, letting the water fall over him. It felt nice, like all of his worries washed away as soon as the raindrops hit the ground. He looked at Mei, her brown hair now plastered to her face. Water dripped from her bangs and trailed down her cheeks, lips, and chin before falling to the ground. His cheeks reddened slightly, and he turned away quickly, not wanting to be caught staring.

“We should head back inside now. If we stay out here any longer, we are sure to be ill later.”

Mei wanted to stand under the rain just a bit longer, but she didn’t want to get sick either.

“Alright,” she acquiesced.

Rintaro nodded and was the first one to walk back inside Mei’s apartment. He watched as she played around a bit more in the rain before finally making it inside.

“You should change out of your wet clothing and into something warm. If you continue to wear your wet clothing, you will be ill even faster.”

“You should change too. Your clothes are just as wet as mine.”

“I have no more clothing to change into. However, I can make a call and have someone deliver some more.”

Rintaro pulled out his Gatrikephone and placed a call to Tetsuo, asking him to ask someone to bring a spare change of clothes to Mei’s apartment for him. Tetsuo hastily agreed and hung up. After about ten minutes, there was a knock at the door. Rintaro answered and saw Touma holding a bundle of clothing. Touma handed him the bundle and excused himself, more than likely, so he could run back to his shop to finish his latest draft before Mei had a chance to get on him about it. Looking around, Rintaro noticed Mei had disappeared. Wondering where she went, he began walking around her apartment. He walked into a room that was undeniably Mei, which told him that it had to be her bedroom. Cheeks reddening even more than before, he moved to make a hasty exit. However, he was stopped by the sounds of water running and humming. While he was talking to Tetsuo, Mei had retreated to her room and climbed in the shower. Mei was currently in the shower. Mei was humming as she showered. Blushing madly now, Rintaro sped from her bedroom, seeking another place to get out of his wet clothing and change into the fresh set. What was happening to him? Why was she causing him to act like this? What would his master have said? What would his master think if he knew?


	8. Moving in together/A helping B move

“The first one to move all of this furniture inside wins!”

Kento sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ren, no challenges. Just help us move all of this furniture into Mei and Rintaro’s new apartment.”

“Kento’s right. You have to chill out about challenging people.”

“I don’t need to hear that from you of all people, newbie.”

Touma gritted his teeth and looked as though he wanted to hit Ren.

“Alright, alright! Everyone, calm down. The faster we can get these two,” Ryo pointed to Mei and Rintaro, “moved into their new apartment, the faster they can be alone.”

The couple blushed, not even thinking about what came after they were finished moving into their new apartment. Rintaro began trying to protest, but Ryo simply laughed and carried some furniture inside. Kento followed with more furniture, asking Mei where she wanted various items. After about a couple of hours, everything was completely moved into the couple’s new apartment. Mei and Rintaro thanked Touma, Kento, Ryo, and Ren and offered lunch, though the four men declined. Touma, Kento, Ryo, and Ren bid their goodbyes and left Mei and Rintaro alone.

“They have left us alone.”

Mei giggled.

“Of course. Did you want lunch?”

Rintaro thought it over for a minute. He had been wanting to train and having a full stomach would make that a bit difficult, but he also wanted to spend time with Mei, as a couple.

“I wanted to do some training, but I have yet to eat. Having a full stomach will make my training tougher, as would not eating at all, but I also wish to spend more time with you. My training can wait. I will help you prepare lunch.”

Mei hugged him. It wasn’t one of her glomping hugs, which were known to almost knock him off of his feet, but a gentle, loving hug.

“Thank you. We’ll have to figure out some way to thank the others for helping us move. Maybe we can invite them over for dinner?”

“I am sure they will appreciate that, Mei.”

She squealed in happiness and kissed him on the cheek. “Now, what should we make for lunch?”


	9. Getting a pet together

Ever since Mei and Rintaro had moved into their apartment, things had been quiet. Mei talked about getting a pet, but having a dog or a cat in an apartment would be difficult. That left fish, reptiles, or amphibians. Both wanted something easy to take care of, something they could feed and then leave alone if either of them needed to leave. Mei suggested they get a fish, but Rintaro wasn’t so sure. He’d never had a pet before. Much of his life had been spent training under the tutelage of his master, Kenshin Nagamine. Nagamine-sensei had no need or time for a pet.

“A fish would be so easy! You just place it in a bowl filled with water, some pretty rocks, some plants, and watch it swim around. You give it a little pinch of food every day and it’s happy. When the bowl starts getting dirty, you clean it, change the water, and replace the stones, the plants, and the fish.”

“I just think we should think about this decision some more. With your job as Touma’s editor and your hours at the office, you might not always be home as much as you wish. Of course, with me out fighting the Megid, I will be absent from home as well. I am just afraid we might not have enough time to take care of a pet.”

“What about a lizard?”

“Mei,” he said warningly.

“Ok, ok. Maybe we should take more time to consider this decision. Having a pet is a lot of work and neither of us may have enough time to take care of it. How about this? We each take the rest of the day to think about this decision, and then, tomorrow, we’ll talk about it again and make our final decision.”

“I accept your terms. We will each take the rest of the day to think about this decision and reconvene tomorrow. Then, we will decide whether getting a pet is the right decision for us.”

Mei nodded, wondering what he’d decide. Her mind was already made up, but she wanted them to make this decision as a team.


	10. Skincare/spa night

Rintaro could see how stressed Mei was getting. Her job as an editor sounded easy, but every time she had to hound Touma to get his draft done by the deadline, he could tell it stressed her out. He was also sure that watching him fight the Megid didn’t ease her stress levels either. He wanted to do something to help her ease her stress, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled out his Book Gate Wonder Ride Book and opened a Book Gate between their apartment and Northern Base. Walking through the portal brought him to Northern Base almost instantaneously.

“Sophia-san, I need your help.”

The mystic descended the staircase and smiled.

“Of course, Rintaro. What may I assist you with?”

“I have noticed that Mei is experiencing some stress lately, and I wish to help her out, but I do not have the slightest idea how.”

“You said she’s experiencing stress, which means she needs to relax. You should try drawing her a bath, maybe light some candles. Does this help you out?”

“Yes, Sophia-san. Thank you.”

Sophia smiled. “You’re welcome, Rintaro. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to come to see me again.”

“Of course.” With that, Rintaro walked back through the Book Gate leading from Northern Base to their apartment.

He found Mei sitting on the couch, rolling her neck and shoulders as if trying to get the kinks and knots out of her muscles. He looked at her with palpable concern.

“I have noticed your stress and I think I know something that might help. Please meet me in the bathroom.”

Mei looked confused but followed Rintaro as he walked into the bathroom. He turned on the taps to the bathtub and began filling it with water. Finding some of her bath salts and bubble bath, he poured some into the flowing water. He looked around for some candles, but couldn’t find any.

“If you’re looking for candles, I don’t have any. However, I do have a nightlight in the drawer. You can use that if you want.”

He nodded and walked over to the drawer. He pulled the nightlight out and plugged it in. Mei shut the water off and stuck her hand into the tub, playing with some of the bubbles.

“Are you going to stay while I bathe?”

He blushed heavily. Even though they were dating, he had yet to see his girlfriend naked.

“I will be in the living room, reading and waiting for you to finish.”

“Why don’t you just bring your book in here and read?”

“The light will be more sufficient in the living room. I do not wish to ruin your calming experience.”

“Alright, I’ll see you when I get out.”

Rintaro smiled, turned off the light, and left her alone. She undressed, pinned up her hair, and climbed into the tub. She sighed as the warm water flowed over her body, washing away aches and pains she wasn’t even aware she had. He noticed her stress when she didn't and decided to do something about it. She’d have to find some way to thank him for that later.


	11. Deciding on "their song"

Mei was out, having a girls' day with her friends. She often wished she had more time to spend with her friends, but with work and constantly having to remind Touma of his deadlines, having girls' days like this seemed near-impossible. She sipped on her drink as she listened to one of her friends gush about her boyfriend and how he was the greatest thing to have ever happened to her.

"...And, we finally found a song that represents our relationship! I'm so happy!" Her friend squealed.

Mei was happy for her friend, that she found happiness, even as short-lived as it might be. Then, her friends turned to her.

"Mei-chan, do you have a boyfriend?"

Of course, her friends didn't know she had a boyfriend. She hadn't told them yet. She had no idea what she was waiting for. They'd be happy for her, and a bit nosy, but happy nonetheless.

"I do. He's kind and sweet, but also kind of shy and awkward. He's relatively new to town, but we became good friends pretty fast. He's strong and protective too!" She couldn't tell them Rintaro was a Kamen Rider, or that he was a member of the Sword of Logos, or even that he wasn't from Earth.

"When do we get to meet him, Mei-chan?"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. Rintaro is so busy with his work and I don't want to bother him. His work is very important and he works very hard."

"What exactly does he do?"

"He works at Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama, the bookstore owned by Touma Kamiyama, the novelist whose books I edit."

"Mei-chan, if he works in a bookstore, how hard can he be working?"

Her friends were really way too smart for their own goods. They were dissecting her story and picking it apart.

"He works very hard at making sales." That sounded very weak, even to her as it rolled off her tongue.

"Mei-chan, what are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything!"

Of course, she was hiding something. She was hiding the true nature of her boyfriend's job.

"Ok, I'm hiding something. But, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to say!"

Her friends nodded, though she could tell they were still somewhat skeptical. She lowered her voice before speaking.

"My boyfriend does work very hard at making sales at Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama, but that's only his paying job. He also works as a Kamen Rider for the Sword of Logos. He's Kamen Rider Blades and wields the Sword of Water in battle. Its name is Nagare."

Her friends blinked a few times, trying to process her story.

"Mei-chan, have you been writing any fantasy novels yourself?" The comment wasn't meant to be mean-spirited, but it almost seemed to come off that way.

"You don't believe me? I know it's a lot to process, but everything I've said is the truth."

"Yes, everything she said has been the truth." Mei smiled, then realized there was someone else agreeing with her.

Her friends looked slack-jawed at the person standing behind her. Who was it? Was it Desast again, interrupting another conversation? Of course, had it been Desast, her friends, and everyone else, would be screaming in terror, not trying to pick their jaws up off the floor. Mei turned around and noticed Rintaro standing there.

"Rintaro, how long have you been standing there?"

"Not long. Just long enough to hear you tell your friends that I am Kamen Rider Blades and am in the service of the Sword of Logos. Mei, that was supposed to stay as a secret."

"I told them they can't tell anyone!"

"We won't tell anyone. Besides, even if we did, who's going to believe us?"

The girl had a point. Anyone who wasn't in on the secret would just think it was another fantasy story.

"So," Mei's friends looked at Rintaro with wide smiles on their faces, "Mei-chan was telling us all about her boyfriend. It's so nice to finally meet the boy she's been gushing about!"

Rintaro looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but there. His eyes glanced at the exit, wondering if they'd notice if he left.

"It is a pleasure meeting you too. However, I have work to do, so I need to be going."

"Wait! Can't the book sales wait? Mei hasn't even told us how you two met."

"My apologies." With that, Rintaro left without saying another word.

"I told you, he's kind of shy and awkward in social situations. He's book-smart, but not quite people-smart. He's still learning."

The girls looked down.

"We're sorry, Mei-chan. We shouldn't have put him on the spot like that."

"I'll give him your apologies."

Things were quiet for a bit, and then one of her friends spoke up.

"So, Mei-chan, he's cute! Do you two have a special song?"

"We just started dating! We haven't had time to figure out what our special song is!"

"Ooh, ooh, I have the perfect one! It's by an American musician, Enrique Iglesias. The name of the song is "Hero". Given that he's your own personal hero, Mei-chan, I think it fits!"

"Isn't "your song" the song you're supposed to decide on as a couple?" Mei asked. "We haven't decided on anything yet, let alone what song represents us as a couple."

Mei pulled out her phone to check the time. When she noticed what time it was, she shot up out of her seat.

"I have to go!" She set down enough money for her drink on the table and rushed out.

She opened up her call app and tapped on Rintaro's contact.

His Gatrikephone chimed from within his pocket, signaling an incoming call. He picked up immediately, noticing it was Mei.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, but I need to talk to you."

"I will meet you outside of the shop where you are meeting with your friends."

"I'll wait outside for you." She didn't need to tell him that she told her friends she needed to leave.

The two hung up and Mei waited for her boyfriend to arrive back at the shop. She wondered what he was going to say when she told him about what her friends had said. After about ten minutes, Rintaro arrived back at the shop.

"Thank you for meeting me, Rintaro."

"Of course. Are you sure there is nothing wrong?"

"I'm sure."

She hesitated for a few seconds.

"Mei, you know you can tell me anything."

"Yes, I know."

"Why are you not saying what you wish to say?"

"Please don't freak out when you hear what I'm about to tell you. My friends and I were talking earlier and the topic became about "couple songs". My friend and her boyfriend have "their song" and my friends were wondering if we had one. They were suggesting songs. I told them that is something that we needed to discuss as a couple. What do you think about "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias? He's an American singer. My friends suggested it after they learned who you were. You're my hero, Rintaro."

"I do not know much about "couple songs", but if you want us to have one, I think "Hero" sounds like a good song."

"You haven't even heard the lyrics."

"The title tells me everything I need to know."


	12. First "I love you"s

She'd let her guard down again. Now she was, once again, in the clutches of Storious and his Megid. She didn't even want to think about what Storious had in mind for her because she knew it was nothing good. With his strong grip on her neck, he held her in place as he ordered his Megid to put her into a deep sleep. Ah, now things made sense to Mei. The Megid must have been from a Wonder Ride Book based on "Sleeping Beauty". If the Megid was going to put her into a deep sleep, she was sure even the Megid's defeat wouldn't wake her up. Mei closed her eyes and prepared for the Megid's attack.

The Megid launched her attack, engulfing Mei in mystical energy that put her into a deep sleep. Storious released his grip on Mei and sent her unconscious body dropping to the ground. He smirked and told his Megid to retreat for the time being. The two Megid retreated back to their headquarters, leaving Team Saber to tend to the unconscious Mei. Touma held Rintaro back from charging Storious, stating that coming up with a plan to save Mei was more important than reckless revenge.

Ryo scooped Mei into his arms and made his way toward Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama. Once in the bookstore, the plan was that Team Saber would walk through the Book Gate to Northern Base and consult with Sophia on what the next course of action should be in order to save Mei. A plan would also be made to defeat the Megid. Kento and Ren looked at Rintaro and noticed that he looked just as he had after Zooous had finished gloating about killing his master, Nagamine-sensei. He wasn't his typical calm, cool, and collected self anymore, and that was concerning.

After what seemed like forever, Team Saber finally reached Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama. Everyone filed in and headed for the Book Gate at the back of the store. Opening up the door, Rintaro was the first one through. Touma ran after him, just to make sure he didn't do anything too reckless. Kento and Ren were next, with Ryo bringing up the rear with Mei. The quintet of swordsmen ran into the large library that served many functions for the Sword of Logos' members.

"Sophia-san, we need your help! Mei-chan's in trouble!" Touma pleaded.

"Please calm down and tell me what happened."

"Storious created a Megid who puts her victims to sleep. I'm not sure exactly how she does it, but when Mei was hit, I noticed an energy output."

"The Megid must be using a type of sleep energy to put her victims into a sleep state. Do we have any idea how deep the sleep state is?"

"We don't, but if we could figure out which story the Megid is from, it'll help us out a lot."

Touma turned to Kento.

"You're right. That would help us out a lot. Knowing which story the Megid came from would help us devise a plan to defeat her and wake her victims up. Our clues are "fairy tale", "sleep", and "energy". Does anyone have any ideas?"

Everyone thought hard for a few moments, then, Kento's head shot up.

"Could it be possible for the Megid to be based on _Sleeping Beauty_? It's a fairy tale, the heroine is put to sleep, and there're magic elements in the story. Touma, you said you noticed an energy output after the Megid attacked. Could that energy output have been some sort of sleep magic?"

"It had to be. If she's a Megid created from the _Sleeping Beauty_ Wonder Ride Book, then yes, she most likely attacks her victims with sleep magic. If we can defeat her, all of her victims should wake up."

"I'll go with you, Touma. You can't defeat her alone."

"I wanna go with Kento too!"

"I'll be there too!"

Ren just grinned like an idiot at Touma.

"We will all go."

The grin slid off of Ren's face as the tone suddenly shifted.

"No, Rintaro. I'll go. You stay here with Sophia, Tetsuo-kun, and Mei. I'm sure your face is the first thing Mei will want to see upon waking up."

Ryo handed Mei off to Rintaro and joined Touma, Kento, and Ren in preparation to fight the Megid.

"Alright, let's go. The quicker we defeat her, the quicker her victims will wake up and no one else can be targeted." The four swordsmen left Northern Base.

"Rintaro, please place her here." Sophia motioned to a table off to the side, with various monitors hooked up to it. "We need to track her vitals."

Rintaro placed Mei on the table and Tetsuo hooked up the various monitors to Mei, watching as her vital signs came up on the screens.

"It would seem as though the Megid placed her in a state of a deep sleep, deeper than we initially believed."

"What does that mean, Sophia-san?"

"It means that even if the Megid is defeated, Mei still may not wake up."

"Why?"

"I am afraid I do not have those answers for you, Rintaro. There is still a chance that defeating the Megid will cause her to awaken, but the fact that she was placed into a deep sleep state does not make that likely. There may be another method we need to employ to awaken her."

"What method would that be?"

"Tell me, Rintaro. Have you ever read the _Sleeping Beauty_ fairy tale?"

"No, I have not. What is it about?"

"A beautiful, young woman is placed into a deep sleep state by an evil witch and she is only awoken by the power of true love's kiss."

"Mei and I have not been a couple for very long. We have not even kissed or told each other "I love you"."

"It does not matter how long you've been together, Rintaro. If your love is true, then your kiss will awaken her."

Just then, Tetsuo's Gatrikephone rang. It was Touma calling him to say they had defeated the Megid, and all of her victims near them had woken up. Tetsuo had to tell him that Mei was the only victim that hadn't woken up yet.

"Rintaro, I think you know what you have to do."

"Yes, Sophia-san. May we have a moment alone, please?"

"Of course." Sophia and Tetsuo left the room, leaving Rintaro alone with Mei.

"Mei, I am terrified at this moment. I am terrified that I am going to lose the kind, sweet, bubbly girl lying in front of me. I never want to lose you. I never want to experience the heartbreak of spending one more moment of my life without you. I swear on Suiseiken Nagare that, I, Rintaro Shindo, love you, Mei Sudo."

He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. He felt as though he'd violated her, but knew it was a necessary step in waking her up. He stepped back from the table and waited, watching to see what happened next. A few seconds passed, and then what seemed like minutes. Nothing was happening and Rintaro wondered if she didn't feel the same way. He looked down at the floor as if there was something more interesting there than what was right in front of him. The machines began beeping loudly and Rintaro thought he was going to lose the love of his life. However, when he looked up at the table, he noticed Mei had her eyes open. She was awake!

"Mei? Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Mei yawned a bit, still slightly tired from her ordeal. She was also very confused. One minute, she was being held and nearly strangled by Storious, and the next, she was asleep. She couldn't remember anything after that.

"I'm fine, Rintaro. I'm just a bit tired and very confused."

"A Megid put you into a deep sleep state. The Megid was from _Sleeping Beauty_."

"I actually had that worked out before she put me to sleep. Did defeating her wake me up?"

"Not exactly. From what I could hear Touma say over the phone, the rest of her victims woke up immediately following her defeat. However, you were in a deeper state of sleep than they were, so it took longer for you to awaken."

"I also remember the fairy tale having something to do with "true love's kiss"? At the end of the story, she's awoken by a kiss from the prince!"

"I cannot recall, but I do not think that is what originally happened."

Mei pouted and pulled herself off the table, unhooking the machines as she went.

"So, how exactly did you wake me up, Rintaro?"

He looked down at the ground, attempting to avoid eye contact with his girlfriend. He shuffled his feet a little and was dreading answering her question. His cheeks and tips of his ears were burning and he was afraid of what she might say if she knew.

"Would you believe me if I told you that you eventually woke up on your own?"

"No."

"I woke you up with "true love's kiss"."

"I thought that only worked in fairy tales!"

"Now we know that it also works to dispel a Megid's magical powers derived from a fairy tale."

"Right. Fairy tale Megid, fairy tale abilities, fairy tale way of dispelling the magic."

Rintaro smiled a bit as his girlfriend worked things out.

"I wish to tell you something, Mei."

"What is it, Rintaro?"

"When you were attacked by Storious and his Megid, I was terrified. I was terrified because I thought I was going to lose you. You are kind, sweet, caring, bubbly, and the list continues. However, one thing will never change and that is the fact that I never want to experience the heartbreak of spending one more moment of my life without you. I have already lost my master and I do not wish to lose you too. I swear on my holy blade, Suiseiken Nagare, that I, Rintaro Shindo, love you, Mei Sudo and I will always protect you, no matter what."

Mei was stunned. This was the first time Rintaro told her "I love you". Granted, it was in his own sweet, dorky way, but it was a confession nonetheless. She smiled a bit and launched herself into his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"I assume that your reaction means you love me too?"

"Yes, you sweet, sweet, adorable dork. I love you too, Rintaro."


	13. Doing each other's makeup/picking each other's outfits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As with Rituals!, this piece also takes place in an AU. It's technically a crossover with Harry Potter, but no Harry Potter characters actually appear and the story is set during Professor McGonagall's tenure as Headmistress (which means it's in the future!)

Mei pulled Rintaro down the cobblestone paths of Diagon Alley. He was trying his hardest to keep up with her, but she was moving far too quickly for his liking. He felt as though, if she didn't slow down, he was going to accidentally let go of her hand and tumble to the ground.

"Why are you moving so fast? Please slow down!"

"I'm so excited! The Yule Ball is tonight and we need new clothes!"

Rintaro had no idea why he couldn't wear his usual clothing to the Ball, or what the Ball was. Was the Yule Ball a gathering or a party of some type?

"Why am I not able to wear my usual clothing?"

"This is the Yule Ball, Rintaro. You need to look your best! We might be undercover, but the Headmistress and Sophia-san would still like us to attend!"

He still wasn't very sure about the entire experience. They hadn't even made it to the clothing shop yet and, already, Rintaro felt a sense of dread wash over him. He had never been to any sort of ball, gala, or party before, so the Yule Ball festivities would be a brand new experience for him. The other thing he was worried about was if there was any type of attack during the party. If something attacked, he, Touma, Kento, Ryo, and Ren would be unable to access their Wonder Ride Books and belts, so the quintet would have to find another way of fighting back. He remembered the Headmistress making sure they all had something called a wand, which would afford them all a different way of fighting back, but Rintaro was used to Nagare. He wanted Nagare. He couldn't wait until this undercover mission was over.

Almost as soon as Mei had pulled him out of the castle, pushed him onto the train, and pulled him down the cobblestones, they had finally arrived at Madame Malkin's. Rintaro was finally able to catch his breath as he stood in front of the shop, looking in each of the windows. After catching her own breath, Mei ran up to the door and opened it, ushering Rintaro inside Madame Malkin's shop. The seamstress walked up from the back of her shop and addressed the couple.

"Hello, hello! What can I do for you today?"

"We've come here to find some clothes for the Yule Ball tonight! I know it may be cutting things a bit close, but we really just need something for him." Mei gestured to Rintaro, who wished he could melt into the floor.

Madame Malkin must have noticed or sensed his discomfort because she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be fine, dear. This isn't as bad as you think. Now, you may wish to join your girlfriend over there," Madam Malkin pointed to a rack of dress robes Mei was perusing, "as she looks like she may have found something."

Rintaro nodded and made his way over to where Mei was perusing the dress robe selection.

"What have you found?"

"What about this?" Mei showed him a dress robe set that consisted of a black suit jacket, a black vest, a white undershirt, black pants, black dress shoes, and a blue tie.

"Do I have to wear all of this?" The vest looked, frankly, uncomfortable.

"I think you could get away with not wearing the vest, but you'll have to wear the jacket, the shirt, the pants, the shoes, and the tie."

"That seems fair."

"Alright, let's get this up to Madam Malkin and see if she needs to do any hemming. We don't want you to trip on your pants or jacket because they were too long."

Rintaro nodded, then realized Mei still needed a dress for the Ball.

"What about a dress for you? Do you already have one?"

"No, but we were here to get dress robes for you."

"You need something to wear tonight too, Mei. Shall we look around?"

Mei nodded, unsure they were going to find anything for her to wear to the Yule Ball. She gave the dress robe set to Madam Malkin and asked her to hold onto it until they were finished. The older woman smiled and set the clothing behind her counter. The couple walked over to the dress section of the shop and began looking at all of the different styles and colors. Some dresses Mei ruled out simply because of the size and others were ruled out because of the style. Some were too low-cut, some she didn't like the sleeves, and some she didn't like the straps.

"What do you think about this one?" Rintaro pulled a dress off one of the racks and showed her.

The dress was blue, matching his tie, and floor-length. She had no idea how she'd be able to walk in it without tripping, but it did look nice. It had a halter lace bodice and an illusion-style neckline. It didn't show too much and it looked like it would fit comfortably.

"Do you like this dress?"

Mei nodded.

"Then this will be the dress you wear to the festivities tonight."

The couple walked up to the counter, where Madam Malkin smiled and greeted them again. She pulled out her magical tape measure and took each of their measurements. She altered the clothes to match their measurements, rang everything up, and accepted the payment Mei gave her. Once they purchased their clothing for the Yule Ball, they walked out of Madam Malkin's shop and headed back toward the train station to catch a train that would take them back to Hogwarts.


	14. Slow dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Fourteen is a direct sequel to Chapter Thirteen.

Touma, Kento, Ryo, and Ren walked into the Great Hall, all wearing their best dress robes. The boys had had a tough time tying their ties, but Ryo quickly rectified that with a little advice and fatherly guidance. Each one of the boys' ties was color-coded to their respective element, Touma's red, Kento's yellow, Ryo's orange, and Ren's green. Touma, Kento, and Ryo greeted students and walked over to the refreshments table, leaving Ren to socialize with several "classmates". Ren, sooner rather than later, joined the others at the refreshments table, not at all interested in socializing. He saw an opportunity to propose a challenge, but as soon as he was about to say something, Kento shot him a look, cutting him off.

Having told the others to head downstairs before them, Rintaro and Mei walked into the Great Hall, hand-in-hand. Mei was wearing the brand-new blue dress she'd bought at Madam Malkin's, along with a pair of black, short-heeled, Mary Janes. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant bun, with her bangs framing her face, and a hairpin completed the look. She was also wearing a small smattering of both eyeshadow and lip gloss, which made her eyes and lips pop. Rintaro was wearing his dress robes, complete with a blue tie and black dress shoes. They joined the others at the refreshments table and began conversing with them.

"It looks like the students are having fun," Touma said with a smile. He was happy everyone was having fun.

Ryo smiled. "Yeah. They need time to just be normal teenagers who don't need to worry about magic for one night."

Kento nodded his agreement, smiling. Ren hung off to the side, like a ninja in the shadows, watching and listening while munching on some snacks and sipping on some punch. Rintaro and Mei were having their own conversation, though no one knew what they were discussing. After the current song selection ended, a slow song began echoing throughout the room. Many students began dancing with their respective dates while the professors watched.

Mei smiled at her date. "Would you like to dance with me?"

"It is usually customary for the man to ask the woman to dance, is it not?"

"Traditionally yes, but now, anyone can ask anyone to dance. Would you like to dance with me?" Mei repeated her question.

"Yes, but I have no idea how. Would you care to teach me how to dance?"

"Of course!" Mei led Rintaro out onto the dance floor and positioned his arms around her waist. He blushed at her action of putting his hands on her waist.

She noticed his blush. "Rintaro, in a slow dance, one partner positions his or her arms around the waist of the other partner, and the other partner will position his or her arms around the neck of the other. Does that make sense?"

"I think so. If my arms are positioned around your waist, your arms will be positioned around my neck?"

"Exactly!" Mei wrapped her arms around his neck to illustrate her point.

"Now that we've correctly positioned our arms, now we begin moving to the music. It's a slow dance, so we're going to move slowly and romantically."

He still didn't understand quite how dancing worked, but he was willing to try it for Mei's sake. She was trying so hard to teach him and he didn't want to disappoint her. He began slowly swaying them back and forth to the music, hoping that he was doing things right.

"Am I doing this correctly?"

"Yes! You're a fast learner."

Rintaro smiled. "I have the best teacher."

Mei smiled and moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as they danced. Rintaro smiled at her as they swayed to the music. Soon, the music ended but the two remained in their embrace. The others smiled at them, not saying a word. Rintaro seemed to be the first one to notice that the song had ended, but Mei made no move to break apart from him.

"Mei, the music has ended. I believe that means we can head back to the others."

"Mmm, I want to stay like this just a little longer. Just keep holding me?"

He blushed deeply but obliged her, continuing to hold her in a protective embrace.


	15. Reading to each other

Mei sat, and sat, and sat some more. The blank piece of paper in front of her seemed to mock her. Whose idea had it been again for her and Rintaro to write their own vows to each other? As soon as she remembered that person, he or she was going to be in a world of hurt. She couldn't think of anything to write and the same person who had the bright idea for them to write their own vows also suggested that they read them to each other! Before they were going to read them at the wedding ceremony! Mei briefly tried to remember if it'd been Touma who'd made the suggestion, if only so she could have someone to blame and berate later. She felt like throwing her pen across the room. Her fist clenched around the poor object in her hand and she screamed, not caring who else heard her. She picked up the piece of paper and left the apartment, going to see the one person she thought might be able to help her.

Mei ran to the bookstore and darted through the door in the back. Pushing open the door to Northern Base, she tried to catch her breath.

"Mei Sudo!"

She must have surprised Tetsuo, as he quickly shot up from the table where he was working on something.

"Sorry, Daishinji-san. I didn't mean to startle you. I just need help with something and I was wondering if Sophia-san was here."

"I am," Sophia descended the staircase with a smile. "What do you require my help with, Mei Sudo?"

"As you know, mine and Rintaro's wedding day is approaching soon and I'm writing my own vows. However, writing my own vows is tougher than I thought it would be. I thought I could just put the pen to paper and start writing, but I have no idea where to begin."

"Well, first, I would brainstorm a few things that you like about him. Think about the first time you met, the very first time you fell in love with him. Don't be afraid to think about your future with him as well. What are some things you both have in common, things like ideals, beliefs, things like that. Once you think about all of those things, I think that should help."

Mei hadn't thought about it like that. The advice Sophia was giving her actually made sense and was starting to make things become a bit easier for her.

"Thank you, Sophia-san! I think I understand now!"

"I'm glad I could be of help, Mei Sudo," Sophia smiled. "Don't be afraid to come see me if you need anymore help. I imagine that Blades will soon seek my advice on the same subject. He's very studious, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he requires a bit of gentle guidance."

Mei nodded and left Northern Base, excited to begin her draft of her vows. In the doorway, she passed Rintaro, who was no doubt meeting with Sophia to seek her advice, just as she said he would. As soon as Mei was back in the bookstore, she sat down at Touma's desk and began drafting.

 _When we met in the bookstore, I thought,_ Who is this person, why is he in the bookstore, and why is he riding a blue lion? _Slowly, we started becoming friends. It wasn't until you saved me from the Megid that I knew I was in love with you. It began as a simple crush, but I couldn't let go of my feelings. Whenever we're apart, I miss holding your hand and being next to you. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, laughing and smiling as we think about our future. Your willingness to save me when I'm in danger has shown me how to be more conscious of what's happening in my surroundings. I promise to always try to stay out of danger. I look forward to loving you as much as possible as we look to a future together._

Soon, her first draft was complete. She read it over to herself to make sure it didn't sound too cheesy or corny, and decided it sounded alright. Her next step was to think about if she needed to add anything or take anything out. She didn't want her vows to be too long, but she didn't want them to be too short either. Maybe when she read them to Rintaro, he could give her some feedback about what he thought.

"Mei, I have my vows for you."

"Rintaro!" Mei jumped slightly, having been engrossed in her thoughts about her own vows.

"Once we wrote out our vows, what we plan to say to each other before marriage, we were supposed to share them with each other. Have you completed your draft?"

"Yes, I have."

"I will go first, as I believe it is customary for the man to recite first?"

Mei nodded.

"When we first met, my thoughts were not even about love. However, I was happy as we began building a friendship. I knew I was in love with you when Storious held you hostage and you were nearly eaten by Zooous. That was the scariest day of my life and I cannot imagine my life without you in it. Before I met you, I was naive about how the world, and the many things in it, worked. Now I have learned quite a few things, thanks to you. Because of you, I see the world in a much different way than before. When we are apart, I miss being with you, talking with you, and seeing your smile. A wise man once wrote, 'If I know what love is, it is because of you.' You taught me love and how to love, and I thank you. I promise to always protect you and be your hero. I love you."

Mei could feel the tears well up in her eyes. His words were so beautiful. How could hers ever compare?

"When we met in the bookstore, I thought, 'Who is this person, why is he here, and why is he riding a blue lion?' Slowly, we started becoming friends. It wasn't until you saved me from the Megid that I knew I was in love with you. It began as a simple crush, but I couldn't let go of my feelings for you. Whenever we're apart, I miss holding your hand and being next to you. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, laughing and smiling as we think about our future. Your willingness to save me when I'm in danger has shown me how to be more cognizant of what's happening around me. I promise to always try to stay out of danger. I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. I look forward to asking you to love me as long as possible as we look to our future together."

She'd changed some words around from her initial draft, but she thought the second draft sounded better.

"What did you think, Rintaro?"

"I think that there is no conceivable way that I could love you any more than I do right now. You promised to stay out of danger, but I promised to always protect you. Even when you are in trouble, I will always be your hero that is there to save you."

Mei tearfully glomped him, jumping into his arms and hugging him tight. She began muttering how much she loved him.

"I love you too, Mei," he whispered.


	16. Tracing words on each other's skin

Mei and Rintaro were lying in bed, her head resting on his chest. Using her fingertip, she began tracing lazy "I love you"s all over every inch of skin she could find. He smiled, eyes half-lidded.

"Mei, what are you doing?" His voice was thick with sleep.

"Mmm, just showing you how much I love you by tracing it all over your skin."

"Was I mistaken? Did you not just show me how much you love me?"

Mei blushed heavily, wanting to hit him out of embarrassment, but she didn't have the strength.

"Rintaro! Don't say things like that!" She yawned, exhausted.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep, her head still resting on his chest, and cuddled up to him. He smiled and joined her in sleep.

The next morning, Rintaro awoke before Mei. She was still curled into him, so he had to move her carefully in order to climb out of bed without waking her up. After carefully shifting her off of him, he took the time to trace "I love you too" on her skin. He pulled the covers and blankets over her so she didn't get cold. He gathered up some clothing, went into the bathroom, and began freshening up for the day. After he was finished, he traced another "I love you too" on Mei's skin, wrote her a note, and left the apartment, heading for the bookstore. Once at the bookstore, he walked through the Book Gate and entered Northern Base.

"Blades, what are you doing at Northern Base so early this morning?" Sophia asked.

"I was hoping to do some training in Liberation. It never hurts to be overly prepared in case of an attack."

"Just be careful. I am sure you are fully aware of what happened the last time you trained in Liberation?"

"I was training to master control of Fantastic Lion. I have now mastered that form. Worry not, Sophia-san, this training session will only be to ensure I will be fighting at peak strength. I am not training to master any more Wonder Combos."

Sophia smiled and left Rintaro to his training. Rintaro entered Liberation and transformed into Kamen Rider Blades Fantastic Lion. As time flowed much differently inside Liberation, his training session didn't take long. He de-transformed and walked out of Liberation.

"I am heading home for a warm shower and sleep."

"I am sure Mei Sudo will appreciate that."

"I left her to continue sleeping while I did my training. I left her a note, but unless she woke up after I left, she has no idea I am here."

"Go back and be with her, Blades. You deserve that, especially everything you have already been through."

"Thank you, Sophia-san. You know, she supported and comforted me after learning about Nagamine-sensei's death. We eventually fell in love and that has brought us to where we are now. I love her, Sophia-san."

"I know you do," Sophia said, a smile on her face. "Go home and be with her."

Rintaro smiled and took his mentor's advice, returning home to his and Mei's apartment. He checked in on the bedroom and noticed Mei was still asleep. He smiled and entered the room as quietly as possible. He slipped his sweaty clothes off and headed for the bathroom. He freshened up again and then carefully slipped back into bed. He carefully traced "I love you" on the part of Mei's bare shoulder peeking out from underneath the covers and carefully pulled her against him, not wanting to wake her up. He never imagined this is where he'd be after coming to Earth, entering into a relationship with Mei, living together, and thinking of marriage and a future together. There was just so much he never considered before, but he was glad he did.


	17. Drawing each other

Touma had already submitted his latest manuscript, which meant Mei couldn't hound him. It was safe to say that Mei Sudo was bored out of her mind. She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through Insta as if searching for something. There was nothing. No news, at least none that mattered, no nothing. There was simply nothing to research.

"I'm so bored. If you have any more ideas, feel free to write out a brand new manuscript."

Touma didn't have any new ideas churning around in his head at the moment.

"If you're bored, why don't _you_ try writing?"

"I'm an editor, not a writer."

Mei huffed and left the bookstore, obviously getting as much out of Touma as she was going to get for the time being. She returned to her apartment and flopped down on her couch. Why did she have to be the editor to a writer that only had a good idea, seemingly, once in a blue moon? Then, her thoughts turned to Rintaro. What was he doing? Was he training? Was he fighting a Megid that appeared in the city? She didn't think it was likely he was fighting a Megid, as that meant Touma would've gone out to join the battle. Maybe he was at Northern Base? The apartment was lonely and quiet without him. She thought about calling him on his Gatrikephone, but if he was busy, he wouldn't pick up. She thought about visiting Northern Base, but maybe he wouldn't want her there?

She stood up from her couch and found a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. She sat back down on the couch and began sketching an amateur portrait of Rintaro, though it wasn't the best. She snorted to herself. There was no way she was going to be a professional artist. When the portrait was finished, she laid it on the couch. Having the portrait of him sitting next to her made things a bit less lonely, but Portrait!Rintaro couldn't compare to the real thing. She sighed and sank back into the couch, pulling out her phone again. She began scrolling through Insta again, just in case something had been posted since she last looked. There was nothing. Were the Megid just taking time off? She'd have to bring it up with Rintaro when she saw him.

About an hour later, Rintaro walked through the apartment door and found Mei sitting on the couch, asleep. One arm was down at her side, her phone loosely gripped in her hand. She must have fallen asleep while scrolling through her phone. He pulled her phone out of her loose grip, locked it, and plugged the charger cable into it, setting it on the table next to the couch. It was then that he noticed the piece of paper sitting next to her. It was a drawing of him. Why did she have a drawing of him? If they weren't in a relationship, he would've thought that was a bit creepy. As they were, he thought it was endearing. He found some paper and a pencil and decided to attempt a sketch of Mei while she slept. He tried his best, but Portrait!Mei didn't do the real Mei justice.

It was clear that neither of them were artists. One was a book editor and the other was a swordsman and Kamen Rider. Their art wouldn't be winning any "Artist of the Year" awards, but that was alright. Rintaro didn't care if his art did or didn't win any awards and he was sure Mei felt the same. The quality of the art wasn't important. It was the sense of being together even when apart that the art brought them that was truly important.

"Mei, I have returned home," Rintaro said, quietly, gently shaking her awake.

"Mmm," she stretched and moaned softly. "Welcome home."

It was clear to him that she wasn't fully awake yet. She didn't even seem to register his presence in the room. However, a few minutes later, as if someone lit a fire underneath her, Mei shot up like a rocket.

"Rintaro! You're home."

"You were asleep, but I already told you I had returned home. You replied, 'Welcome home.'"

"I must have been really out of it."

"I think you may have just been half asleep."

"I'm awake now. Where did you go? Was there a Megid attack? There's no new news on Insta about monster attacks, so have the Megid just been taking time off?"

"To answer all of your questions in order, I was at Northern Base. We had a brief meeting and I did some training. There was no Megid attack that I know of. If the Megid are taking time away from their attacks, it is because they are likely planning something large-scale. What that would be, I have no ideas. What is with the drawing?"

"I didn't know where you were, I was bored, and I got lonely. I visited Touma, but he had no new ideas for a new manuscript. After I returned home, I found a piece of paper and decided to make a sketch of you to keep me company. It's not the best, but Portrait!Rintaro still kept me company enough until you came home."

"It does not need to be perfect. As long as your art fulfills the purpose you created it for, it is alright."

Mei smiled and noticed his amateur portrait of her.

"I see you drew a picture of me too."

"I noticed yours and thought it might need a partner."

Mei laughed. His dorky nature was quickly rubbing off on her.


	18. "Why did you choose me?"

"Why did you choose me? You could have chosen any one of the other men in the city, but you chose me."

"I chose you because you rescued me from the Megid. After I was thrown into the air by that creepy wolfman, all I could think about was how I didn't spend more time with my friends and whether anyone was going to save me. I was thinking I was going to be wolf food and then I saw a blue blur rush by. You saved me from being eaten by that creep, and being in your arms made me feel safe like nothing bad could ever touch me again."

"Zooous had no right to touch you. I should have been there sooner."

"The important thing is that you saved me from him and I'm okay."

Rintaro nodded, happy that she was okay after her ordeal.

"I want to thank you for being there for me while I was mourning my master's death. You were comforting me in my time of need and I am grateful for that."

"You needed a friend, Rintaro, and I was happy to be that friend."

"I do not understand. If you were comforting me as a friend, when did your feelings for me manifest?"

"My feelings, and crush on you, were cemented after you rescued me from being eaten, but my feelings manifested when I noticed you needed comfort after learning the truth of your master's death. At that time, I decided to just be a friend because I felt that's what you really needed."

He thought he understood it now. She chose him because he rescued her from being eaten. He was sure there was a term to describe a situation like this, but he couldn't recall. Was his rescue the only reason she chose him to be her lover?

"Did you choose me to be your lover _only_ because I rescued you from Zooous?"

"That's only one reason I chose you, Rintaro. It helps that you're cute, but you're also kind and you fight for the entire world. You fight to save everyone. You're very noble. _That's_ why I chose you to be my lover. Now you know why I chose you, but why did you choose me?"

"You were the first person who was kind enough to show me around this strange world. You helped me make sense of Earth and its people. I thank you for that, Mei. You are beautiful, smart, and kind. That is why I chose you to be my lover."


	19. “I’m gonna marry you one day”/“I’m gonna have kids with you one day”

Mei and Rintaro lied in bed one night, just talking before going to sleep. When she said one thing, in particular, Rintaro couldn't tell if she was half-asleep, sleep talking, or being completely serious. He was so shocked that he almost fell out of bed.

"I'm going to have kids with you one day."

"Mei, I think we are still quite young!"

"I said 'one day', not right now."

She was being completely serious. She wasn't sleep talking and she wasn't half-asleep. Mei wanted children. With him. It wasn't as though he disliked children, in fact, he didn't mind them at all. Sora was a good example of that, even if he believed Ryo should keep the boy out of the dangers of what they did for a living. He just assumed he'd have children a bit later in his life, not in his twenties. He'd have to think about this for a while. Mei really threw him for a loop with her words.

"When would you like children?"

"Like I said, 'one day'. Though, I'd prefer if we had any children before I'm in my forties."

"I do not want our children to grow up in a world where they have to be afraid."

"You want our kids to grow up in Wonder World?"

"That was not what I meant. I meant that I want our children to grow up without having to worry about any threats of a Megid attack. I think we should wait until after we have defeated the Megid once and for all."

"I agree. If we had our kids before they were defeated, could you imagine what would happen?"

"If you became pregnant now and the Megid learned of it, I would never forgive myself. I do not want to imagine what might happen."

"On the other hand, if we chose to have kids now, I'd have an excuse to stay away from the battlefield."

She did have a valid point. If she became pregnant now, he'd have the perfect excuse to keep her away from the danger. However, that wasn't why he wanted to have children with her. Yes, he admitted it. While he assumed he wouldn't have children for a while, he still wanted them.

"I do not want to get you pregnant just to keep you away from the battlefield. I want to get you pregnant because I love you and I wish to have children with you. I want to have a legacy and someone to potentially pass my sword down to. I want someone to mentor and teach the way Nagamine-sensei and Sophia-san mentored and taught me."

"So, we're agreed then? We're going to have kids?"

Rintaro nodded.

"Yes, I will give you as many children as you want."

"What about two?"

"If we have two, how will I determine who I pass Nagare down to?"

"Wouldn't you pass Nagare to our eldest?"

"I would choose my student in a fair manner, but yes, typically, the inheritance is received by the eldest child."

"I want at least two."

He was okay with one, but two didn't seem any worse.

"I will give you as many children as you want," he repeated.

"At least two," she repeated.

"Then, at least two is how many I will give you."

Mei smiled, her eyes drooping shut. She yawned quietly, turned onto her side, and snuggled into her pillow and blankets.


	20. A leaving cute voicemails for B while they’re away

Mei just dropped off Touma's latest manuscript with the editor-in-chief, her boss, and now it was time for lunch. She pulled out her phone, opened up her list of contacts, and tapped on Rintaro's name. She listened to her phone ring and ring and ring some more. There was no answer. After four or five rings, the Gatrikephone's voicemail picked up and instructed her to leave a message.

"Hey, Rintaro! You must be busy, but I just wanted to know if you wanted to meet me for lunch somewhere. Please return this call whenever you get it. I'll call you later."

She hung up, wondering what he was doing. If he was free to do things with her, he would. Was there a Megid attack she didn't know about? She quickly opened Inster and filtered for "soap bubbles", "witnesses", and "appearance", the same search terms she used while she and Rintaro were in the alley doing research as the others defeated the Piranha Megid school. She didn't come up with any relevant results, but she knew that didn't mean the Megid weren't attacking.

She pulled up his contact information again and redialed his number. She received the same results as before.

"It's just me again! Don't worry about meeting me for lunch. Just let me know where you are and I'll bring lunch to you. See you later!"

Maybe he was at Northern Base? Even if he was at the base, he would still call her and answer her calls. If he still wasn't answering, maybe he was training? He'd likely be hungry after that, so Mei went off in search of lunch. Walking into the grocery store, she bought a little bit of just about everything so there would be choices and everyone could find something to their tastes. She pulled out her phone and dialed Touma. Unlike Rintaro, Touma picked up almost immediately.

"Hello, Mei."

"Have you seen Rintaro? I've been trying to call him, but he isn't picking up."

"We're all at Northern Base. Rintaro is training in Liberation with a couple of the others, which is why he isn't picking up his phone."

"I'm bringing lunch over."

"Sounds good, Mei. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The two hung up and Mei made her way back to the bookstore. She walked in and strode over to the doorway that would take her to Northern Base. She walked through the Book Gate, bags of food in hand, and walked down the hallway. Stopping at the large doors leading to the library, she set down her bags and opened the door. She picked up the bags and entered the library. Touma, Sora, and Ryo were standing there, waiting for the others to get done training.

"Mei, let me help you with those." Touma took a couple of bags and set them down.

"I'll help too." Ryo took the rest of the bags and set them down next to the other ones.

"Sora, do you think you can help me unpack all of this food?"

Sora nodded, "Of course!"

Ryo walked over to the door leading to Liberation and knocked on it.

"Mei's here and she brought lunch for everyone. Come eat."

Rintaro, Ren, Kento, and Tetsuo filed out of Liberation, tired and covered in a layer of sweat. They must have been training for hours. Ren, Kento, and Tetsuo went over to the food and Rintaro went over to Mei. He tried to hug her and give her a kiss on the cheek, but she was having none of it.

"You're sweaty and you didn't pick up the phone when I tried to call. I left you two voicemails."

"My apologies. Let me check my Gatrikephone."

He pulled his Gatrikephone out of his pocket and saw that there was, indeed, two voicemails from Mei. He opened the first one and listened to it.

_Hey, Rintaro! You must be busy, but I just wanted to know if you wanted to meet me for lunch somewhere. Please return this call whenever you get it. I'll call you later._

He opened the second one.

_It's just me again! Don't worry about meeting me for lunch. Just let me know where you are and I'll bring lunch to you. See you later!_

"Thank you for lunch. I would have loved to have met you somewhere, but we did not want to fall behind in our training."

"I understand, Rintaro." Mei smiled.

He quickly kissed her cheek.

"I apologize for not answering my phone. I should have taken a break."

"I was going to leave you a third voicemail, asking you where you were, but I didn't want to sound obsessive or creepy."

"It was rather cute of you to care about whether I ate."

"Of course I'm going to care about whether you've eaten. Food is important, especially after training hard for hours."

"You had no idea I was training."

"The thought crossed my mind, which was why I was also wondering if you'd eaten anything."

"The next time you call me, I promise to answer my phone. Although, I would not mind hearing your sweet voice deliver me another voicemail message." He smiled at her and she smiled back at him.


	21. Movie night

Tonight was movie night at Mei and Rintaro's apartment and they had invited everyone over, including Sophia. Sophia, Ryo, and Tetsuo had declined the invitation, Sophia because she wanted to keep an eye on things at Northern Base, Ryo because it was a school night for Sora, and Tetsuo because he claimed he had projects to work on. That left Touma, Kento, and Ren as the only three to accept the movie night invitation. Touma and Mei were the only two that knew how movie nights worked, so it was their job to explain everything. Their explanation began with a trip to the store for snacks and drinks.

"I already bought all of the movies, so we just needs some snacks and drinks. I made a list of everything we need and we're going to split into two groups to get this done. Group one will be Rintaro and I, and we'll get the drinks. Group two will be Touma, Kento, and Ren, and you'll get the snacks."

Mei split the list in two, giving half to Touma and keeping the other half for herself.

"We'll meet back here at the front by the checkout when we've gathered everything on the lists."

The two groups split and headed toward their respective aisles. The drinks would be the easiest to gather as they didn't need much. Mei and Rintaro already had tea, coffee, and water back in the apartment, so they just needed some sodas and they'd be good to go. Mei pulled a few bottles off the shelf and handed a couple to Rintaro to carry.

"We're done! I wonder how Touma and his group are doing?"

Touma's group wasn't doing well at all. Kento was trying his best to mediate between Touma and Ren and Touma was trying his best not to hit Ren. Ren was grinning like an idiot as he proposed a challenge to Touma. The challenge was to see who could gather the most snacks the fastest. Ren was raring to go, but Touma had never agreed to the challenge. Now, Touma was angry at Ren, Ren didn't care, and Kento was trying to calm both of them down and salvage any sense of peace.

"Touma, please get everything on our list. I'll deal with Ren."

Touma nodded and walked down the aisle, looking at the shelves for each item on his list. Mei's list had different snacks on it such as popcorn, potato chips, and candy. Touma grabbed a few bags of each type of snack on the list and walked back over to Kento and Ren.

"I got all of the snacks, so we can head back to meet Mei and Rintaro now. How did everything go over here?"

Kento dropped his voice down to a whisper, "Everything went just fine. We had a little discussion and he settled down for now. I have no idea why he's like this, Touma. What makes a person believe that strength itself is justice? I'm worried that Ren is going to pick a fight with the wrong person and something bad is going to happen to him. He's like the little brother I never had, Touma. I couldn't take it if something bad happened to him."

"He's a Kamen Rider like us, Kento." Touma smiled and put his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "He's strong, fast, and knows how to fight and defend himself. He'll be fine."

Kento nodded. Maybe a relaxing movie night was just what he needed to move his mind away from his current thoughts. He'd have to bring his thoughts to Sophia.

"Alright, let's go meet Mei and Rintaro at the front. They're probably wondering what's taking us so long."

Kento and Ren nodded, walking out of the snack aisle with Touma. It took them, roughly, two or three minutes to get back up front to meet Mei and Rintaro.

"Where have you been? We've been waiting for a bit now!"

"We needed to find everything on the list."

"Let's just pay for everything and get back to the apartment. I already have the first movie picked out!"

Touma looked at Rintaro, as if silently asking him what she'd chosen. Rintaro shrugged, as Mei hadn't told him what movie she'd chosen for them to watch first. Mei and the boys walked up to the checkout counter and waited as their purchases were rung up. Mei paid and gave each of the boys a bag to carry. They all made their way back to Mei and Rintaro's apartment and brought the bags into the kitchen. Bowls and cups clattered around as everyone was busy getting what they wanted before the movie started. While everyone was getting their concessions, Mei stuck the movie into the player and waited for everyone else. Touma, Rintaro, Ren, and Kento filed into the living room and took their seats, Mei and Rintaro on the couch, Touma in the chair, and Kento and Ren on the floor. Mei grabbed the remote and started the movie. As soon as the opening screen appeared, it became clear what type of movie Mei chose first. It was a classic horror film.

As soon as a particularly gory or scary scene of the film began, Mei would squeak a bit and squeeze Rintaro's hand. Rintaro would squeeze her hand back in silent support. This went on for the remainder of the movie. Once the movie was over, Ren began lamenting the weaknesses of the characters, commenting on how horror movie protagonists should be stronger. Touma wanted to say something, but held his tongue, not wanting to get into a fight. Mei went over to the video player and exchanged the horror film for an action one.

"For those who didn't care for the horror movie, I hope you like this one!"

They did. While they didn't dislike the horror movie, the action movie held their attention better. By the end of the second movie, Mei was asleep, snuggled up against Rintaro's side. Touma took the movie out of the player, shut off the TV, and motioned for the others to help him clean up while entrusting Rintaro with the task of putting Mei to bed. Rintaro understood his message and picked Mei up, carrying her to their bedroom. He placed her down on her side of the bed and covered her with the covers and blankets. After making sure she was asleep, he joined the other boys in their cleanup efforts.


	22. Sleepy late-night cuddling

Mei and Rintaro were sitting on the couch in their living room, watching TV. It was around eleven at night and the Water Swordsman wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his eyes open. Mei was already dozing off, resting her head on Rintaro's shoulder, well on her way to falling asleep. Rintaro looked down at his lightly dozing girlfriend and then looked for the remote. It was definitely time for bed. If Mei needed to go into the office, he wanted her to get enough rest. If Touma and the others needed him, he couldn't afford to be dead on his feet.

"Mei," he shook her gently, "Mei, we should get to bed."

Mei groaned, not at all wanting to be disturbed.

"Mei, if you are needed at your job tomorrow, you should be well-rested. I should be well-rested as well in case there is an attack."

Mei groaned again. She muttered something, though Rintaro couldn't make out what she said. She gripped onto his arm and snuggled into his side. At this rate, they'd both be spending the night on the couch.

"Mei!" He shook her again, a bit less gentle than before. "Mei, wake up. You will sleep better in a bed than on the couch. If you do not wake up, I will carry you to bed myself.

Mei groaned again but eventually opened her eyes.

"What is it, Rintaro? Why do you keep trying to wake me up?"

"I believe you will sleep better in bed than here on the couch."

"You're probably right, but I'm so comfortable here. Why can't we just cuddle and fall asleep here?"

"We can cuddle and fall asleep in bed."

"Fine."

She pushed herself off the couch and headed for their bedroom. As she'd already changed into her pajamas before they started watching television, she immediately crawled into her side of the bed. Rintaro followed and grabbed his pajamas. He headed to the bathroom to change. Once he was changed, he climbed into bed and pulled Mei to him, letting her cuddle up to him. She enthusiastically cuddled up to her boyfriend, resting her head on his chest and her arm over his waist.


	23. Forehead kisses/nose boops

Touma, Rintaro, Ryo, Kento, Ren, and Tetsuo had gone out to fight another Megid and Mei was waiting for them to return. She began pacing about the library in worry, wondering if the boys were alright.

"I am sure Saber, Blades, Buster, Espada, Kenzan, and Slash are doing just fine. Please sit and relax."

"I can't, not when I have no idea if they're winning or not."

"One thing I have learned about Touma and the others is that while they may falter in the beginning, they always manage to pull off the win."

"That's true, but still..." Mei had more on her mind than just the fight. "I've learned from a bit of observation that anything can happen when the Megid attack."

It was true. Anything could happen. Including being taken as a hostage and almost eaten. She couldn't have imagined _that_ in her wildest dreams. Just like she couldn't have imagined the latest piece of news she'd received. Mei was going to tell Rintaro about her news, but he'd been alerted to the Megid attack before she could tell him. She wanted to await his return so she could tell him, which was why she decided to travel to Northern Base. Mei knew the Riders would come back to the Base after the battle to debrief Sophia, so after the debriefing, she'd tell him her news.

"Is something wrong, Mei Sudo?"

"I'm just tired, Sophia-san. Maybe I'll take a nap. Will you please wake me up when the others return?"

"Of course," Sophia smiled.

Sophia led Mei up the stairs and through the hidden doorway, which led to a host of rooms that were used for sleeping quarters and medical purposes.

"Please take one of our empty guest rooms and rest for as long as you would like. I will come and wake you when the others return."

Mei nodded and walked into one of the empty guest rooms, closing the door behind her. She lied down on the bed and fell asleep.

A couple of hours later, Touma and the others returned to Northern Base, victorious in their fight.

"We're back, Sophia-san!"

"We have returned safely."

"We're back."

"Everyone is safe and sound."

"I'm back!"

"I've returned, Sophia-san."

"Welcome back, everyone!" Sophia smiled, glad her swordsmen came back home in one piece.

"Oh, Blades, Mei Sudo is sleeping in one of the upstairs guest rooms. I promised to wake her up when you arrived, but perhaps you would like to wake her?"

Rintaro nodded, trying to keep his worry at bay. Why was she sleeping in the middle of the day? Was she okay? He walked up the staircase and through the bookshelf passage. He walked down the hallway until he came to a closed door. He quietly opened the door and walked into the room, noticing Mei asleep on the bed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her.

"Mei, please wake up."

She groaned softly.

"Sophia-san?" Her voice was thick with sleep.

"I am not Sophia-san."

Another soft groan. She moved around a little, beginning to pull herself into a more wakeful state. When she opened her eyes, she noticed it was Rintaro who'd woken her up instead of Sophia.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sophia-san sent me to wake you. Do you feel rested?"

"I'm still feeling a bit tired, which leads me to what I need to tell you."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Rintaro. Don't worry, it's nothing bad."

She leaned up to whisper something in his ear. When she pulled away, she was smiling and he was stuck in a trance. She waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"Earth to Rintaro, are you alright? I didn't mean to break you!"

Her words broke him free.

"I am fine, Mei. You just shocked me with your news. You have to promise me to stay away from the danger. I cannot lose both of you."

He pulled her to him and kissed her on the forehead.

"We should head downstairs and let everyone know you are alright."

Mei nodded. Rintaro kissed her on the forehead again and the two made their way back downstairs.


	24. Matching outfits/C noticing A and B have matching lock screens

Mei was swiping through various photos on her phone when she noticed Touma looking over her shoulder. She quickly put her phone to sleep, though it accidentally woke when she raised it a little bit. Touma got a brief look at her lock screen, a picture of her and Rintaro. He swore up and down to himself that he'd seen that picture somewhere else before, though he couldn't recall where. At first.

"You and Rintaro have matching lock screens."

"What?"

"On your phones. You and Rintaro have matching lock screens," Touma repeated.

She had no idea Rintaro used that photo for his lock screen on his Gatrikephone. After it was taken, she'd sent it to him, but she had no idea what he did with it afterward.

"Is having matching lock screens a bad thing?"

"No, I actually think it's kind of cute the way you two match like that."

"You make it seem like we're sickeningly sweet."

"You are. You're the only couple among our circle of friends and when you think none of us are looking, you're always off whispering stuff to each other, hugging, or cuddling up to each other."

"How do you know we aren't discussing something important?"

"If you were discussing something important, you'd wait until you were alone, not whisper and take the chance of someone overhearing you."

She couldn't dispute his words.

Touma smiled and laughed as he gently patted Mei on the head.

"It's cute, Mei, so don't worry about it."

She wasn't sure if he was referring to the matching lock screens, their affectionate behaviors in front of the others, or all of the above.


	25. B's journal of cute things about or involving A

It was the small things he first noticed about her, her kindness, her beauty, her willingness to comfort him in his time of need, and her sisterly instincts with children. Sure, her first experience with Sora didn't go very well, but she had improved since then. Rintaro could tell Sora and Mei's relationship had improved considerably and the young boy saw her like an older sister. Rintaro gathered his observations and noted them down in a secret notebook he kept away from everyone. Even Mei didn't know about the secret notebook. He took every opportunity he could find to observe her and write down everything. The notebook was kept a secret because Rintaro thought if anyone knew about it, he or she would think it was creepy that he was taking notes about all of the cute things he observed about Mei. He opened up to one of the pages and began to read to himself.

_Zooous killed my master. Nothing could have prepared me to hear those words. All I could feel was rage. I wanted to kill Zooous, but I was too weak to even touch him in my current state. He gave me my sword and told me to get out of his sight, to go home and cry. Death would have been preferable to that moment. But, Mei changed all that. I was dealing with something very heavy, something very personal, and she came in and began ensuring that I was doing alright. She genuinely cared and I greatly appreciated her kindness. She is the kindest person I have ever met, aside from Sophia-san. It does not hurt that she is also one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. I cannot say that to her face, however. I cannot express how beautiful she is, as I have no idea what her feelings are towards me. If I tell her how beautiful she is, I might offend her somehow. Humans are very strange._

At the time, he had no idea how she felt about him. He found out soon after that she harbored a crush on him. That led him to begin reading from a different passage he'd written.

_I just discovered Mei has something called a crush on me. What is a crush and why do humans call it that? Is it something that crushes you? Touma tried to explain it to me, but I am still not sure I completely understand. I should ask someone else about this matter._

He heard footsteps coming, so he quickly closed the notebook and hid it away again. Maybe one day, he'd read his written thoughts aloud to Mei, but today was not that day.


	26. Breakfast in bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Twenty-Six is a sort-of sequel to Day Twenty-Three, as some of the events of Twenty-Three are continued in Twenty-Six.

Sunlight streamed through the window of Mei and Rintaro's bedroom. The swordsman woke before his lover and climbed out of bed. He got ready for the day and, noticing she was still asleep, quietly left the bedroom. Stepping into the kitchen, Rintaro didn't think it would be too much trouble for him to make breakfast for the two of them, despite the fact that he'd never really cooked before. How hard could making a batch of rice be?

Rintaro turned on the rice cooker and began preparing a batch of rice. As the rice was cooking, he began preparing the main course and the side dishes. By the end of the better part of an hour or two, Rintaro had prepared rice, eggs, grilled fish, miso soup, and a salad for both of them. For this being his first time doing any cooking, he was surprised how good everything looked. He had honestly expected himself to burn either the fish or the rice, or possibly even the soup, if such a thing were possible.

He placed one set of breakfast dishes onto a tray and carried it into the bedroom. The smell of the food alone was enough to wake Mei up. She looked at the spread in front of her and smiled. Her swordsman had done all of this for her? She was excited to start eating and taste his cooking, but one thing was missing, however.

"What about the tea, Rintaro?"

"I will begin preparing some now. I wanted to bring your meal to you first. I will return shortly with our tea and my own meal."

He left their bedroom and returned to the kitchen to prepare some tea. Both of them had become very fond of green tea, though other blends were found to be just as good. As Rintaro prepared their tea, he had no idea what was happening back in the bedroom.

After Rintaro left the room, Mei began eating. However, a few bites in and it felt as though things weren't sitting well with her stomach. She felt like she was going to be sick. She knew what was wrong, but she didn't think it would affect her this early. She gently set her tray aside and ran into the bathroom. This was going to be a long road if everything she ate affected her like that.

At the same time as she was in the bathroom, Rintaro had returned with two cups of tea and his own tray of food. When he heard the noises, he quickly set his tray down on the first flat surface he could find and raced into the bathroom. Mei was curled up next to the toilet, tired from having expelled just about everything in her stomach, including what little breakfast she'd just eaten.

"Is this normal?"

"For some women, yes, it is. I'll be fine. This usually subsides completely later on."

"Are you up to eating more, or would you just like to sip on your tea?"

"I might be up to eating a bit of rice, but I don't want to overdo things. The tea sounds really good right now."

"I will get it for you once you are back in bed."

"I can get my tea myself, Rintaro. You should relax and eat your own breakfast before it gets cold. It's very good!"

"Thank you. Admittedly, however, I am still unsure of how to cook. The rice was easy enough, as were the eggs. There was a short time where I was sure I was going to burn the fish or the rice, or possibly the soup."

"But you didn't. Thank you for cooking, even when you weren't sure. Why not ask one of the others for cooking advice or lessons? I'm sure Ogami-san would be more than happy to teach you."

"I was only thinking about making you breakfast now. I was not considering the future. I will consider asking Ogami-san and the others for advice so I am more confident about my cooking ability in the future."

"Be confident about your cooking ability now, Rintaro! This breakfast is delicious!"

"Yes, but there is no way to determine how long you will be able to keep it down."

"The rice is bland enough to start my stomach off easy. I'll work my stomach up from there."

Rintaro nodded, though he was worried the food would send her back to the bathroom. If this was what he had to look forward to for many more months, he really would have to ask Ogami-san and the others for advice and cooking lessons. 


	27. A carrying B around the house bridal style, wrapped in a blanket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Twenty-Seven is a sort-of sequel to both Chapters Twenty-Three and Twenty-Six, as they all take place in the same "universe" and are part of the same timeline of events.

Mei was once again hunched over the toilet, paying her respects to the porcelain god. She hated it. She wished it was over. The worst part was she and Rintaro had invited Touma and the others over to their apartment to share the news. She didn't want them to see her like this.

She groaned, finally finished. Mei pulled herself to her feet and stumbled over to the sink. She quickly rinsed her mouth with water and then with mouthwash. Her eyes drooped as her last bout took a lot out of her. Surely, the others would understand if she decided to stay in bed for the rest of the day, wouldn't they?

Mei walked out of the bathroom and collapsed onto the bed. She was so exhausted that she felt like she could sleep for the next week. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard footsteps.

"Mei, are you alright?"

"No."

"Will you tell me what is wrong?"

"I'm tired."

"My apologies, Mei, but Touma and the others are here."

She groaned. Just _how_ long had she spent in the bathroom?

"Should I tell them you are resting?"

"No, I should be out there, delivering the news with you."

"How will you do that when you cannot seem to keep your eyes open?"

"Carry me?"

"What will the others think?"

"The others won't care."

Rintaro sighed and grabbed one of their many blankets, wrapping her up like a human burrito. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, setting her down on the couch. He walked over to the door and invited everyone inside. Touma, Kento, Ryo, Ren, Tetsuo, and Sophia walked in and noticed Mei bundled up and sitting on the couch.

"Mei, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just tired, Touma. Having to chase after you for a manuscript is exhausting."

Touma just smiled and laughed, knowing she was joking with him. It wasn't chasing after him for a manuscript that was making her exhausted.

"Are you sure you would not like to rest in bed, Mei Sudo?"

"I don't want to be rude to everyone, Sophia-san. Besides, Rintaro and I have news we want to share with everyone."

"I see." Sophia smiled and took a seat.

"So, what's the news anyway?"

"Please be patient, Ren. They'll tell us when they're ready." Kento walked into the kitchen and began filling some glasses with water.

Ryo laughed. "Knowing these two, they're either getting married or someone's pregnant."

Mei and Rintaro blushed.

"Ogami-san, I think we should all be patient. Blades and Mei Sudo will tell us when they are ready."

Kento returned with a tray full of water glasses for everyone. He began passing them out to everyone.

"Thank you, Kento." Touma smiled at his best friend.

"Much appreciated, Kento."

"Thanks, Kento!"

"Thank you!" Ryo clapped the boy on the back, nearly knocking him forward and making him drop the rest of the water glasses.

Kento quickly recovered and passed the next two glasses to Tetsuo and Sophia.

"Thank you," Tetsuo said, not making eye contact with Kento.

Kento didn't hold that against him. Everyone knew Tetsuo was shy and didn't like making eye contact with people unless he considered them a true friend, like Touma or Sophia. The third-to-last glass of water went to Sophia.

"Thank you very much, Espada." Sophia smiled.

"You're very welcome, Sophia-san."

The second-to-last glass was Mei's, which Rintaro accepted and set aside. Kento took the last glass and sat down.

"Now that we all have something to drink, Rintaro, why are we all here?"

"Mei and I have called all of you here because we have good news to share."

"You're getting married?"

"Mei's pregnant?"

"You're getting married _and_ Mei's pregnant?"

"If you would all allow me to speak, someone here has guessed correctly."

"Touma, how did you know?"

"I knew that it wasn't chasing after me for a manuscript that was making you exhausted, so it had to be something else. You're usually so bubbly and excited, even when chasing me for my next manuscript, so that excuse didn't fool me. Congratulations, Mei, Rintaro."

"This is truly joyous news, Mei Sudo. Congratulations to both you and Blades."

"Congratulations."

"Will the baby be strong?"

"The baby isn't even born yet! Give it a rest, man!"

"Stop. Touma's right, the baby isn't even born yet."

"If our baby is anything like its father, it'll be strong." Mei smiled, on the verge of falling asleep.

Rintaro picked up his bundled girlfriend. "I should probably make sure she gets some rest. I will return shortly. You are all free to stay unless you have prior engagements."

"I believe I will take my leave, Blades. Please make sure that Mei Sudo gets adequate rest." Sophia stood, setting her water glass down gently.

"I will make sure Sophia-san gets back to Northern Base." Tetsuo stood, setting his glass down next to Sophia's.

"Thank you for coming."

Sophia and Tetsuo left the apartment. Rintaro walked into the bedroom and placed his bundled girlfriend on her side of the bed. He unwrapped her from the blanket and covered her with the bedcovers, draping the blanket over the covers. He walked back into the living room and sat back down with Touma, Kento, Ryo, and Ren.

"Do you have names picked out?"

"Touma, we do not even know if the child is male or female yet. The last thing I am thinking about is names."

"That's too bad because I think I just thought of the perfect name for the main character of my next book."

"You did?"

"I'm going to base the main character of my next book on your child. If it's a boy, he'll be named Kaito. If it's a girl, she'll be named Hoshiko. Kaito is derived from the kanji meaning "sea" or "ocean" and "soar" or "fly". Hoshiko is derived from the kanji meaning "star" and "child"."

"That's very creative of you, Touma."

"Thank you, Kento."

"Rintaro, consider my new book a gift for the baby."

"Thank you, Touma. Really, I appreciate this."

"Talk over the names with Mei and see what she thinks, Rintaro. You're not naming your baby on your own."

Rintaro nodded. "I will."


	28. Traveling together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Twenty-Eight is set in the same "universe" and timeline as Chapter Twenty-Three, Chapter Twenty-Six, and Chapter Twenty-Seven.

Today was the day of Mei's first doctor's appointment with her OB/GYN. It was about eight weeks since she discovered she was pregnant and she was unsure about how this appointment was going to go. Thankfully, Rintaro knew about the appointment and had agreed to go with her. He was really looking forward to the appointment ever since she booked it. After he and Mei learned she was pregnant, he began doing a lot of research to learn about what types of things he should expect during the pregnancy. Having done the research, he knew he and Mei wouldn't be learning the baby's gender at her first prenatal appointment. However, one thing he was excited to learn was Mei's due date. Knowing the due date gave him something to look forward to and leverage to keep her out of danger.

The couple left their apartment and began their walk to the doctor's office. Mei's doctor was in town, so it wasn't a far walk, something the couple was grateful for.

"What do you think is going to happen, Rintaro?"

"Mei, you are going to be just fine. From what I researched, your doctor will determine your due date, do a physical examination, and try to scan for the baby's heartbeat. Of course, I believe it is too early to find the heartbeat as you are not far enough along yet. In about another month, the baby's heartbeat will become detectable."

"You've done a lot of reading about this."

"I like to be prepared."

He did. He really did. After about ten minutes or so, the couple arrived at the doctor's office. They walked inside and Mei checked in at the front desk. She was given a clipboard of paperwork to fill out, which she sat down and began working on. Rintaro tried to help where he could, but, admittedly, didn't know enough about his girlfriend's history to be of much help. Once the paperwork was finished and turned back in, they waited. It was another ten or fifteen minutes later before one of the nurses called her back to an examination room. Waiting for the doctor was uneventful. The time was spent talking and looking around the room. A short time later, the doctor entered the room and began her examination of Mei.

Mei's appointment ended about an hour later. She made her next appointment and the couple left the doctor's office. On the walk back home, Rintaro raised an important question with his girlfriend.

"Touma thought we should begin discussing names before our child is born. I told him that we do not yet know the gender of the child. Do you have any ideas for a name?"

"You and Touma had that conversation?"

"Yes, he asked me if I had thought of any names for our child and I said no because we did not know the gender. He suggested a couple of names, Kaito for a male and Hoshiko for a female."

"The "kai" in Kaito means "sea" or "ocean". The "to" is written to mean "soar" or "fly"."

"Touma explained that. He must have made that suggestion knowing that it would be a meaningful name. He even said he was going to write a book for our child."

"Hoshiko means "star child"."

"Another meaningful name. What do you think of these names?"

"I think they're perfect! But," Mei pursed her lips in thought, "what if we have both?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if we have twins?"

"Then we will use both names."

He knew the likelihood of having twins was low, but as the doctor was unable to hear the heartbeat of the fetus, anything was possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been working on it and then life got busy and I wasn't able to finish it until now, so enjoy!


	29. Couples costume!

Touma was planning a Halloween party for Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama. It was going to be a small affair, with only him, Mei, Rintaro, the other members of the Sword of Logos, Sora, the neighborhood children, and their parents. That meant everyone needed to find a costume and time was slowly running out.

"Mou..." Mei was bored. The store was empty, Touma had actually completed the manuscript of his latest book, and Mei had no ideas for her costume for the party. "Why can't I think of anything?!"

"What about doing a group costume or a couples costume?"

"Rintaro would never go for a couples costume, Touma. Besides, how would we choose? There're too many choices!"

"How do you know if you never ask him? I'm sure you'll find something. What about something based on one of the Wonder Ride Books?"

"Which one?"

"Any of them, or you can dress up as famous people. It's a Halloween party! You're supposed to relax and have fun. No one is going to care what costume you're wearing."

Mei nodded, wondering which costume to pick. She pulled out her phone and dialed Rintaro's number, deciding to take Touma's advice and discuss the couples costume idea with him. Rintaro picked up the call almost immediately.

"Hello, Mei. How are you today?"

"I'm doing fine, Rintaro, thanks for asking. Touma is throwing a small Halloween party at the bookstore for us, the other Sword of Logos members, Sora, the neighborhood children, and their parents. He suggested a group costume or a couples costume, but I don't know what to choose!"

"If you want to try a couples costume, I would be alright with that."

"Really? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! But, which one should we choose?"

"We should choose something you are going to be comfortable wearing for a few hours."

"We can dress as a witch and a wizard, a god and a goddess, superheroes, or something based on one of the Wonder Ride Books. Touma suggested that last one. Did you have any other suggestions?"

"I am already a superhero. Should we go as Kamen Rider Blades and --"

He was interrupted.

"No, you can't transform! Your identity has to stay secret! What about a god and a goddess?"

Rintaro shook his head. As beautiful as Mei would look in a long white dress, she didn't need the dress to be his goddess.

"Should we attend as a witch and a wizard?"

Mei thought about the idea, then shook her head.

"What about Peter Pan and Tinkerbell?"

Rintaro thought about that for a moment. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell were characters in the famous fantasy story, _Peter Pan_ , the basis for his _Peter Fantasista_ Wonder Ride Book. Mei must have kept that in mind when choosing that for their costumes.

"We will attend Touma's party as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell."

And, so they did. Rintaro and Mei attended the party as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, respectively. Touma dressed as a dragon, Sora and his father dressed as superheroes, Kento dressed as a wizard, Ren dressed as a ninja, Sophia dressed as Athena, and Tetsuo dressed as a blacksmith. Many children and their parents attended the party too. Touma read to all the children and handed out candy while their parents talked amongst themselves and the other guests. Overall, it seemed as though the Halloween party was a smash hit.


	30. Realizing they're the one/proposing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Thirty is set in the same "universe" and timeline as Chapter Twenty-Three, Chapter Twenty-Six, Chapter Twenty-Seven, and Chapter Twenty-Eight.

Everything was going according to his plan. Sophia set up everything, as he asked, inside of Northern Base, and the stage was set. The last thing he needed was Touma's help. Rintaro needed help in picking out the perfect ring to present to Mei and planning how he was going to propose. That brought both young men to their current conversation.

"You haven't even bought her a ring yet?"

"Please keep your voice down, Touma!"

Touma brought his voice down to a whisper. "You haven't even bought her a ring yet?" He repeated.

"I have no idea what girls like when it comes to things like this."

"Mei doesn't need anything flashy. She'll love anything simple. Why don't we look at a few rings and see if there's anything that catches your eye."

Rintaro nodded, still unsure. He'd never been in a jewelry store before and had no idea what he should be looking for. The two walked to the jewelry store and began looking around the small shop. In one of the cases, Touma thought he found what seemed like the perfect ring for Mei.

"Rintaro, what about this one?" Touma called his friend over, showing him the ring he'd found.

Rintaro walked over to the case and looked at the ring. It had a simple silver band, one round diamond, and two smaller round sapphires on either side of the diamond. It seemed simple enough, but was it simple enough for Mei?

"What do you think, Rintaro?"

"Is it simple enough for her? It does not seem too flashy with three gemstones?"

"The sapphires are small enough that they don't take away from the diamond and it's a simple band. Yes, it's simple enough. She'd love this one."

Rintaro pointed out another ring, this one with a silver band, one diamond, and two pear-shaped sapphires on either side of the diamond.

"Would she prefer round-shaped stones or pear-shaped stones?"

"As long as the ring came from _you_ , she isn't going to care about the shape of the stones."

Rintaro nodded and began pondering his decision, trying to decide which ring to purchase for Mei. In the end, he decided on the ring with all three round-shaped stones. With a ring now purchased, Touma and Rintaro made their way back to the bookstore. From there, Touma's job was to bring Mei to Northern Base where Rintaro would make his proposal. Rintaro still had no idea what he was going to say to her.

"What am I going to say to her?"

"You're going to ask her to marry you. It's up to you how you want to ask, but I suggest making it meaningful for both of you."

Rintaro nodded, somewhat understanding. Wouldn't Mei want to spend the rest of her life with him? He pondered this as the two walked through the door of the bookstore.

"You go on ahead and I'll get Mei. Good luck!"

"Thank you, Touma." Rintaro smiled and walked through the doorway leading to Northern Base.

"I have returned, Sophia-san."

"Welcome back, Blades. Are you prepared?"

"Yes." He took out his Swordriver and placed it on his waist, the belt securing itself around his waist. He pulled out _Lion Senki_ , _Peter Fantasista_ , and _Tenkuu no Pegasus_ , then handed the ring box to Sophia so it wouldn't be swallowed up in his transformation. Opening and placing _Lion Senki_ in its respective slot, he pulled out Nagare and transformed into Kamen Rider Blades.

Mei ran into Northern Base's main library, white book in hand. When she saw Rintaro transformed, she quickly flipped open her book, but didn't see anything pop up on-screen.

"Wait, why are you transformed, Rintaro? There's no Megid attacks that I know of. What's going on?!"

"Mei, please calm down. If you will allow me a moment of your time, all will become clear shortly."

He walked up to her, scooped her up into his arms, and stared into her eyes through his visor.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Mei gasped softly. His words were all too familiar.

"Rintaro!" She smiled and squealed happily.

He set her down and held his hand out toward Sophia. Sophia smiled and gave him the small box she'd been holding onto. He settled down onto one knee and opened up the box, showing off the ring he purchased.

"Mei Sudo, I love you. Will you please do me the honor of accepting my proposal of marriage?"

"Yes! Yes!"

He smiled, removed his helmet, handed it and the ring to Sophia, scooped Mei up in his arms again, and leaned down and kissed her.

"Aren't you going to give me the ring?" She asked after they broke apart.

"Oh, right, yes."

He set her down again and accepted the ring box back from Sophia. He placed the ring on her finger and scooped her up in his arms again.

"Is picking me up like this going to become a habit of yours?"

"This _is_ how you fell for me, is it not? When I held you like this after saving you from Zooous?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then, yes, picking you up like this is going to become a habit of mine."

Mei giggled.

"Can you at least put me down so we can begin planning our wedding? Ideally, I'd like to get married before the baby is born, but we can always do it sometime afterwards."

"Before. I want to wed before our child is born."

Mei smiled. "Let's get planning!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait for this chapter! Stay tuned for the very last one, coming soon to a screen near you!


	31. Wedding day/having their first child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Thirty-One is set in the same "universe" and timeline as Chapter Twenty-Three, Chapter Twenty-Six, Chapter Twenty-Seven, Chapter Twenty-Eight, and Chapter Thirty.

Mei and Rintaro had opted to get married before the birth of their child, so everyone was in planning mode. Sophia and Reika were with Mei, shopping for her dress, while the boys were out tux shopping, per Touma. Everyone, besides Touma, Sora, and Ryo, was puzzled about why they needed a tux for the wedding, especially the future groom.

"Why are we not able to wear our usual clothes?"

"It's a wedding, Rintaro. Your wedding. Don't you want to look nice for Mei?"

"Well, yes, but I cannot imagine Mei caring whether we wear our usual clothes."

"Most women probably wouldn't admit it, but I think she cares more than you think."

Rintaro nodded, still not sure why he couldn't wear his usual clothes.

Meanwhile, with the girls, Mei had picked her dress out fairly quickly. A few dresses had caught her eye, but one, in particular, stole her heart. It was a classic, ballroom-style, off-the-shoulder dress, with a vintage lace bodice and a floor-length skirt made of tulle. She wasn't sure how much longer she could fit into the dress, as once she began showing, the bodice would become too constricting. Mei had already decided this dress was "the one" and immediately bought it. She also purchased a pair of white, short-heeled, Mary Jane pumps to wear with the dress. Also purchased to wear with her dress was a tiara. Sophia noted that Mei was going to look just like a princess out of a fantasy book. Reika noted, "Blades is a very lucky man." The three women left the bridal shop, dress, tiara, and shoes in hand, and headed back to the bookstore. Mei contended she needed to find somewhere to hide her dress so Rintaro didn't see it before the wedding.

Back with the boys, Touma, Ryo, and Sora had already found their tuxes and the three were currently assisting Rintaro, Kento, Ren, and Tetsuo with finding theirs. Kento was the easiest and found his tux and tie fairly quickly. Touma was currently assisting Rintaro, while Kento assisted Ren and Ryo and Sora assisted Tetsuo.

"Rintaro, you need a black suit jacket, a white shirt, and a pair of black pants. We'll look for shoes and a tie after that."

It was quickly made clear that Rintaro had no idea what a tux was. Touma helped him pick everything out. Afterward, the two went to check on how Kento, Ryo, and Sora were doing with Ren and Tetsuo. Ren was bored and was starting to complain and Tetsuo was analyzing the clothes like he analyzed the Wonder Ride Books and Seikens. Kento told Ren, "Just pick something, Ren." Touma quickly helped Tetsuo find something so they didn't spend all day shopping. Once the men were finished, they all exited the shop and headed back to the bookstore.

Three weeks later, the date of the wedding finally arrived. Mei was nervous as Sophia and Reika helped her get ready in one of the back rooms of Northern Base's library.

"You have no reason to be nervous, Mei-san. You look beautiful."

She did. Mei was dressed head-to-toe in her beautiful dress, the tiara, the shoes, and some light makeup. Her hair was twisted into an elegant bun and she looked every bit the princess Sophia had noted she would.

"Mei-san, I believe it is time to get you out there. Blades is waiting for you." Sophia smiled.

Just as she spoke, the door creaked open a bit, Touma peeking his head through the crack.

"Are you ready, Mei?"

Mei nodded. Touma pushed the door open a bit more and offered her his hand. Mei took his hand and walked out of the room. Sophia and Reika left the preparation room shortly after. The four entered the main library and Touma walked Mei up to the front where Rintaro was waiting. Touma stood off to one side with Kento and Ren while Reika stood off to the other side with Tetsuo, Sora, and Ryo. Sophia stood in front of Mei and Rintaro and smiled.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us in witnessing this blessed union of Mei-san and Blades. I will let them exchange their vows and rings and then say a few words. Blades, you may go first."

"Thank you, Sophia-san." He cleared his throat a bit. "When we first met, my thoughts were not even about love. However, I was happy as we began building a friendship. I knew I was in love with you when Storious held you hostage and you were nearly eaten by Zooous. That was the scariest day of my life and I cannot imagine my life without you in it. Before I met you, I was naive about how the world, and the many things in it, worked. Now I have learned quite a few things, thanks to you. Because of you, I see the world in a much different way than before. When we are apart, I miss being with you, talking with you, and seeing your smile. A wise man once wrote, 'If I know what love is, it is because of you.' You taught me what love is and how to love, and I thank you. I promise to always protect you and be your hero. I love you."

Mei thought she was going to cry, her hormones going all over the place, but she took a deep breath and reigned it in.

"My turn!" Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm. "When we met in the bookstore, I thought, 'Who is this person, why is he here, and why is he riding a blue lion?' Slowly, we started becoming friends. It wasn't until you saved me from the Megid that I knew I was in love with you. It began as a simple crush, but I couldn't let go of my feelings for you. Whenever we're apart, I miss holding your hand and being next to you. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, laughing and smiling as we think about our future. Your willingness to save me when I'm in danger has shown me how to be more cognizant of what's happening around me. I promise to always try to stay out of danger. I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. I look forward to asking you to love me as long as possible as we look to our future together."

The two exchanged their wedding rings and smiled at each other.

"Blades, please kiss your bride."

Rintaro scooped Mei up into his arms and leaned down, kissing her gently. They were now, officially, man and wife.

The couple lived happily after their wedding, but about twenty-eight weeks later, things changed. Mei was around nine months pregnant and due to give birth any time. She was sitting with her White Book, gifted to her by Sophia, when it activated.

"Sophia-san, Rintaro, Touma! Come quick!"

Everyone rushed over to her, worried that something was wrong with the baby.

"What is wrong, Mei-san?"

"I think the Megid are here."

When the others observed the viewing screen produced by the book, Storious, Legeiel, Zooous, Desast, and Calibur were indeed crunching their way through the snow as they made their way up to the front door of Northern Base.

"Mei, you cannot be here!"

"Rintaro, I'm nine months pregnant and due any day. Where do you suggest I go?" She snapped.

"Things are about to get dangerous here, Mei. Please allow us to handle this." He looked at Reika. "Shindai-san, please take Mei to the infirmary and keep her and our child safe."

Reika nodded and carefully led Mei to the infirmary. Sophia followed them, having more than enough faith in her swordsmen to allow them to handle this on their own.

"Are you guys ready? We need to defend Northern Base, Mei, and the baby. We can't afford to lose!"

"I am ready, Touma-kun."

"Let's go, Touma."

"I'm ready!"

"I won't let them get any closer!"

"Get ready."

Touma, Rintaro, and Kento placed their belts on their waists, inserted all three of their respective Wonder Ride Books, and drew their Seikens, transforming into Saber Crimson Dragon, Blades Fantastic Lion, and Espada Golden Alangina, respectively. Ren, Ryo, and Tetsuo followed suit, transforming into Kenzan, Buster, and Slash, respectively. A loud explosion echoed throughout the library as Zooous blasted through the doors with a fireball. He crunched through the carnage and splinters and looked around.

"I'm going to enjoy destroying this place!"

"Now, now, Zooous. Let's be patient." Storious, in his human form, calmly strode into the room. "There's no need to fight. Fighting is a waste of time." He smiled, looking around the room.

"What are you looking for, Storious?" Zooous growled. He was upset that he wasn't able to fight.

Storious smiled again. "Zooous, do you remember that girl you almost consumed?"

"I would've eaten her if it wasn't for that weak Water Swordsman."

Rintaro saw red. Why were they looking for Mei?

"Zooous, do you see her here?"

Zooous growled, looking around. "No, I don't."

"My, my, how interesting. Doesn't she always seem to be around?"

"We sent her away for her own protection! I won't let you harm my friends!"

Touma summoned a giant red energy construct of Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang from the Taisei Bracer on his left arm and held it in front of him, doing the same with Rekka. The others followed suit, each holding their respective swords out in front of them, ready to attack.

Meanwhile, up in the infirmary, Mei, Sophia, and Reika were watching the scene unfold on the viewing screen of Mei's White Book.

"Why are they looking for me?!" Mei was crying, her hormones on overdrive.

"Mei-san, please calm down. Getting upset is not good for you or your unborn child. Saber and the others will make sure they do not advance their attack very far."

Mei nodded, then gasped. She started feeling some contractions, though they were fairly mild in comparison to how painful they could be.

"I think I might be starting labor?"

"Please stay calm, Mei-san. Reika-san, please get me a bowl of water and a towel."

Reika filled a bowl with water and grabbed a towel, then handed them to Sophia, who used them to wipe the sweat forming on Mei's forehead.

"Reika-san, what's happening with the battle?"

"Saber and Slash are fighting with Calibur and Storious, Blades is fighting with Zooous, Buster and Kenzan are fighting with Desast, and Espada is fighting with Legeiel."

"How are they doing?" Mei asked.

"Everyone is fighting their hardest. You should get some rest, Mei-san. Your labor has just begun and you will need your strength."

Mei nodded and closed her eyes, trying her best to rest. Her contractions came every five to fifteen minutes and lasted about sixty to ninety seconds, so it was difficult to actually sleep. Adding to her inability to actually get any meaningful rest was her worry about the battle and whether or not her husband and friends were alright. Finally, after a few minutes, she turned onto her side and actually fell asleep.

Meanwhile, the battles downstairs raged on. Touma and the others had forced the Megid outside and were now fighting in the Arctic snow. Team Saber was fighting hard and their enemies showed no signs of slowing down. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the members of Team Saber. The harder they fought, the faster Touma and the others were tiring. They needed to end things quickly or things weren't going to end well for Team Saber. After several more blows from each side, the battles finally seemed to be over. Calibur and Desast were injured and the Megid generals had a few wounds on them. Storious made the decision for the Megid forces to retreat and regroup for the time being. Storious and Desast grabbed Legeiel, Zooous, and Calibur and teleported back to their base.

Sighing in relief, Touma, Rintaro, Kento, Ryo, Ren, and Tetsuo walked back inside their base, staring at the hole where the door used to be. Once back in the library, all six Riders de-transformed. The bookshelf at the top of the stairs parted to the side to show Reika standing in the doorway.

"Blades, your wife is in a state of early labor and has been since your battles began."

"The stress of knowing we were fighting must have been enough to prompt her early labor."

"Indeed, Saber. We were watching through the viewing screen of her White Book when her contractions began. She's resting right now, but I don't think it'll be long before her labor progresses."

Touma placed a hand on Rintaro’s shoulder. “Go be with Mei.” He smiled. “We have things handled here.”

Rintaro nodded and bolted up the staircase. He ran into the infirmary room where his wife was resting.

“Blades! Are you alright?”

“I am alright, Sophia-san. How is Mei?”

“She is fine. She is experiencing some mild contractions but is otherwise resting peacefully. You may sit with her if you wish.”

“How long has she been in early labor? My research says it can last anywhere from six to twelve hours.”

“You were fighting for between an hour and two hours, so she is not quite ready to give birth yet. Please give her a few more hours. Blades, you should get some rest too. I saw you tiring out on the battlefield. Please rest.”

Rintaro wanted to fight Sophia but knew she was right. He was tired after his battle with Zooous. However, if he fell asleep, he might miss his wife start to give birth.

"Sophia-san, please wake me up when Mei is set to give birth."

Sophia nodded as Rintaro climbed into the spare bed next to his wife's. The young man fell asleep almost immediately. Sophia draped a blanket over Rintaro and gave him a motherly smile. She continued to keep watch over Mei and the monitors hooked up to her.

Several hours later, Mei woke up, her legs cramping and her lower back in pain. Her contractions, which were previously between five and fifteen minutes apart and sixty to ninety seconds long, were now about three minutes apart and around forty-five seconds long. Her labor had now progressed from early labor to active labor and she was in a great deal of pain.

Sophia walked over to Rintaro’s bed and gently shook him awake.

“Blades, please wake up. It is urgent! Mei-san’s labor has progressed from early labor to active labor.”

Rintaro was still groggy, but as soon as he heard the words “active labor”, he shot up out of bed like a bullet. He stumbled over to his wife’s bedside and collapsed in one of the chairs nearby.

“Mei, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Rintaro. I’m just in a bit of pain from the contractions, my legs are cramping, and my lower back hurts, but I’m fine.”

Rintaro smiled at his wife and brushed some of her hair away from her sweat coated forehead. Mei smiled back at him, but her smile was quickly replaced with a grimace of pain as another contraction ripped through her body. Rintaro held his hand out for Mei to grip for support. Mei took her husband’s hand and squeezed it throughout each contraction.

During one particular painful, powerful contraction, Mei felt wetness begin to trickle down her leg. She looked at her husband and Sophia.

“I think my water just broke.”

“It will not be long before we welcome a new member of our family.” Sophia smiled.

Mei’s labor continued to progress further and further until it finally reached the end. Sophia took the newborn and began cleaning everything off. She swaddled the newborn and placed the baby on Mei’s chest.

“Sophia-san, do you know the gender of the child?”

Sophia smiled and nodded in Mei’s direction.

“I think I will let your wife make the reveal.”

Rintaro looked over at his wife.

“Rintaro, please meet Hoshiko. Do you want to bring the others up to meet her?”

Rintaro nodded and left the infirmary. Standing on the balcony of the library, he looked down at everyone.

“Mei has given birth and we would like everyone to meet our daughter.”

Everyone smiled and filed their way up the staircases. Touma led everyone into Mei’s infirmary room, reminding them to stay quiet. Mei was lying in bed, a sleeping baby resting on her chest.

“She’s adorable, Mei.”

“Thank you, Touma.”

“We won’t stay long. We just wanted to see how you were doing and meet Hoshiko. We’ll let you rest now.”

“Wait! Touma-kun, before you leave, I have something I want to ask you.” Rintaro stopped Touma before he could walk out the door.

“What is it, Rintaro?”

“Would you be so kind as to do me a large favor?”

“Sure, what can I do for you?”

“Mei and I would like you to take up the position of Hoshiko’s godfather.”

Touma smiled. “Of course I’ll be Hoshiko’s godfather. I promise I won’t let anything happen to her and I promise to always protect her.”

“I would not expect anything less from you, Touma-kun,” Rintaro said, smiling. “Thank you.”

Everyone smiled at the miracle of new life in front of them, all of them ready to defend her from the dangers of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait for this chapter! Please enjoy the last one!


End file.
